This I Promise You
by littlee0618
Summary: Sequel to Empty Handed. Three years after getting married, life for the Hudson's couldn't be better. The only thing that would make it better? A baby to round out their already perfect family. But is Rachel ready to face her fears?
1. December 2026

**Hey guys! Did you miss me? I know I've been gone for what, almost a month? That's along time in fan fiction world. Haha. Anyway, here we are with the sequel to Empty Handed! Exciting right? I know I said I would be working on a one-shot involving our favourite Hudson's going to Disney World but it just wasn't coming out right...at all. Maybe in the future?  
There is a significant time jump in this story, taking place three years after the epilogue in Empty Handed.**

**I feel compelled to remind you, the readers, to keep in mind that this story, as with all of my stories are alternate universe. I use writing as an outlet for when life gets annoying, and as a way to keep our dear, sweet Cory Monteith/Finn Hudson alive and well. The Finchel you read about here are not carbon copies of the version on gLee. This story particularly takes certain events into account, but as was covered in Empty Handed a few timeline altering events didn't occur (cough, the train, cough). I've tried my very best to honour them the best I can and tell their story in this universe well. I hope you enjoy it, if you're privy to anything I've tweeted lately you know we're in for a fun ride. :)**

**I have to give a huge shout out to Allie, Mel and Sara. Without their support, I don't know where I would be. Twitter support groups FTW!.**

**And as always (and unfortunately) I do not own Finn, Rachel or anyone who appears on gLee. They all belong to RIB and FOX. I do however, own Camden and any original characters as well as the plot. I don't pretend to be a medical professional so any and all mistakes are mine.**

**So if you like it, please review! If you don't, that's great too. Just please keep your reviews constructive. It's appreciated.**

**One more thing - the first few chapters are heavy on the smut. I hope that's okay! Rated M for a reason.**

**That being said, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**_December 2026_**

He sat on the bottom step of the stairs that lead up to the bedrooms, where his wife of three years was getting ready for their night out. He could just hear her softly singing along to the small radio she had going as she finished up her magic, and he tried not to let his curiosity get the best of him. He'd promised her he'd remain downstairs so she could get ready in peace, partially to entertain Camden but his parents had shown up and taken care of that so now he was bored. He checked his watch again, silently groaning when only five minutes had passed since he last checked.

He was looking forward to a nice quiet night out to celebrate with his beautiful wife. Life for them in the last three years had been fast and furious to say the least. Between Rachel getting a job at the music conservatory teaching piano and voice, Camden starting school fulltime and him starting an online Master's diploma in Special Education the last three years had been anything but dull. It had flown by and sometimes he still had to pinch himself that this was his life.

Camden came running into the foyer where he waited, Perry hot on his trails. He flopped against Finn's knees and took a big breath before looking up at him, his cheeks flushed.

"Daddy!" He heaved as he tried to catch his breath. "Papa tried to getted me!" A few seconds later Burt came into the foyer, a finger up to his mouth to signal to Finn to be quiet before creeping up behind the little boy and poking him in the sides. This sent Camden into a fit of giggles as Burt grabbed him from around the waist and threw him over his shoulder.

Finn laughed as he watched Camden squirm and giggle as Burt tickled him. "Looks like Papa got you, Pal."

"Little stinker keeps knocking over the blocks we're playing with downstairs," Burt laughed as he flipped Camden around so he could place him on his feet. Finn chuckled as Camden ran to him again and laid his head on his knee before sticking his fingers in his mouth. He brushed his fingers through Camden's hair as he sighed out loud.

Finn honestly couldn't imagine loving a little boy more. Sure, he wasn't his biologically but he felt like he had been a part of his heart forever. Maybe it was because Rachel had always been his soul mate? He often wondered what it would be like if things had been different, if Camden was his by blood. But the longer he thought about it, the more he felt that things had happened for a reason.

"Tired Pal?" He asked quietly as he ran his fingers through the little boys tussled hair. Burt left them for a moment, escaping to the kitchen where Carole was tidying up the dishes that had been made with the dinner she had made. Camden huffed quietly, leaning into Finn more.

"Mommy," he mumbled against his fingers. Finn's brow furrowed for a moment before noticing Camden had his eyes trained behind Finn. He looked up as his eyes widened when he saw Rachel standing at the top of the stairs. He gently nudged Camden off his knee and stood up to face Rachel, his breath hitching.

"Rach," he gasped as he stared at her. She was gorgeous in a sleeveless black dress that hugged her curves in all the right spots. He felt all the breath leave his body and placed his hand on Camden's head for something to do as he clung to his leg. Her hair was swept to the side in a low ponytail and the ends neatly curled.

He suddenly felt underdressed in his own black slacks and deep red button down shirt. But as she walked down the stairs towards him, he felt himself grinning like a fool. It felt like a first date all over again.

"Hi handsome," she smiled as she came to the last step.

"Rach," he whispered again. He took her hand as she stepped down the last step, allowing Finn to wrap his arm around her.

"Mommy look pretty Daddy," Camden smiled as he looked up at them.

"Mommy does look pretty Pal. Very pretty," he grinned, placing a kiss on her cheek. She smiled at him for a moment, her eyes meeting his before he moved to grab her coat out of the closet behind them.

He helped her into her coat as Camden watched.

"Me go with you Mommy?" he asked as he stuck his fingers back in his mouth. He turned to look at Finn. "Daddy?"

Rachel sighed and crouched in front of him, tugging at the bottom of the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. They had been having some attachment issues with Camden as of late. Every time one of them would go to leave, Camden would become upset and agitated. Especially when it was Rachel who was leaving. Going to school was getting better, as Camden had figured out that Daddy worked in the same school and would take him home at the end of the day.

"Mommy and Daddy are going to go out for dinner. You're going to stay here with Nana and Papa and watch Big Hero, remember?"

"I go Mommy," he pouted, tears welling in his blue eyes as Rachel stood up, looking at Finn while biting her lip. She still wasn't good at putting off his tears. Finn sighed and crouched in front of him.

"Pal, Mommy and Daddy will be back very soon. You're going to watch Big Hero with Papa. Remember you wanted to show him who Baymax is? He has no idea. You have to show him, he doesn't know who he is. And I bet if you ask Nana very nicely," he looked up to see his mom coming into the room, a smile on her face. "she'll get you a bowl of your rainbow ice cream to go with Big Hero," he nudged Camden's shoulder as Carole came up behind him and placed her hand on his head. Camden's head jerked up to look at Carole.

"Nana, rainbow ice cream please?" He looked up at her, his eyes wide. When she nodded, Camden raised his arms for her to pick him up. Carole nodded and bent down to pick up the little boy. As soon as Camden and Carole had disappeared into the kitchen, Finn grabbed his jacket and led Rachel out to the driveway where his car was parked.

"My lady," He smiled, opening the car door for her. She smiled, patting his cheek gently as she ducked to get into the car. When she was safely inside, he closed the door before running to the other side of the car. After brushing the small amount of snow off the windshield, they got on their way. They had reservations at a new restaurant that had just opened up downtown. It was one that both him and Rachel had been itching to try.

They made the drive in silence, Rachel facing the window as they headed into downtown Cincinnati. When he came to a stoplight, Finn reached over and took Rachel's hand in his. The gesture brought her attention away from the window and towards her husband.

"I'm really glad we get to spend time together tonight," he smiled as he brought her hand to his lips.

She smiled gently at Finn, squeezing his hand in her own. "Me too. I love you."

"I love you too." The light turned green and he turned his attention back to the road in front of him.

* * *

"Everything looks delicious," Finn sighed as he looked at the menu in front of him.

"It does," she sighed. "I don't know if I'm just hungry but everything looks amazing."

Finn nodded, "the crab and artichoke dip looks good. Want to share that to start?"

"Sounds good," she smiled as the waiter returned with the glasses of wine they had ordered when they first sat down. Finn ordered their starter while Rachel continued to look at the menu.

Finn looked up from his own menu to see Rachel chewing on her lip as she tried to decide what to order.

"Anyone ever tell you, you look sexy as hell when you do that?" He smirked from across the table. She glanced up at him and gave him a small smile.

"I have heard that before. Some handsome second grade teacher told me so," she winked as she reached for her wine glass. He gave her a lopsided smile before going back to his menu.

A comfortable silence fell over them as they each tried to decide what to order for dinner.

"I'm thinking I'm going to try the baked four cheese penne," Rachel announced after the silence had taken over.

"That looks good," he agreed. "I think I'm going to go for the Tuscan filet myself." He closed his menu and placed it beside him before reaching for his own wine glass. He took a sip before placing it down once more.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He asked as he leaned back a little in his chair.

She smiled gently at him from across the table, playing with the ends of her hair for a moment. "You may have mentioned it, but a girl never gets tired of hearing it."

"Well Mrs. Hudson, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight," he grinned, shifting in his seat a little bit. He chuckled a little bit as a blush crept up her cheeks. "After all these years I can still make you blush,"

"All these years? It's only been three..." She laughed slightly.

"Well pardon me, it feels like it's already been forever," he sighed gently.

"We've become that old boring couple," she laughed again.

"Maybe I like being that boring old couple," he smiled.

A bashful look crossed her face as he reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. "I love being that boring old couple," she sighed as she moved her fingers so that their fingers entangled together. "Especially if it's with you."

A soft smile crossed Finn's face as he squeezed her fingers.

Their crab and artichoke dip arrived and they fell into another comfortable silence as they dug into the dish that had been put in front of them.

"Did they post the grades on that paper you submitted yet?" She asked as she reached for a piece of pita to scoop some of the dip with.

Finn shook his head as he swallowed what he had in his mouth. "Not yet. Probably won't see the grades for at least another week."

"How do you feel you did on it?"

He shrugged.

Just before their second anniversary, Finn had began taking online classes to earn his Master's degree. Ever since he'd graduated from teacher's college he'd always wanted to continue on and get his master's. But it had never been the right time and other things had kept him busy. It was Rachel and Camden who had both inspired him that it was finally time to do so and he chose to concentrate on special education as his main area of study. He was taking it slow, two classes at a time for now because life was hectic enough and he still wanted to spend time with his family as much as he could. As it was he already spent enough time locked in their bedroom plugging away on his laptop while Rachel spent time with Camden.

"I like to think that I did well on it. But you know me, I always think the worst. Much like high school," he shrugged.

"Well I read it, and it was fantastic," she smiled as she reached for her wine glass.

"You're supposed to say that. You're my wife," he winked.

"No. I'm supposed to tell you it's complete crap and force you to start over," she laughed as she took another sip.

"Now you're starting to sound a lot like you did in high school," he laughed.

"I just wanted you to do well," she smiled.

"And I did. Because of you," his expression softened. "I love you."

"I love you too." Their eyes locked as they finished the dip that sat between them.

They made more small talk as their main dishes arrived, discussing Camden and the funny things he did, work and holiday plans.

"I forgot to ask earlier, did you manage to find that rocket fist thing Camden asked Santa for?" She asked as she brought her fork to her lips.

He shook his head. "Toys R Us said they were sold out. Mom said earlier she was going to ask Kurt to look in New York before they come in for the holidays."

Rachel sighed. "It's the only thing we haven't been able to find that was on his list."

He smiled gently at her from across the table. "We'll find it Rach. You know Blaine, he's like awesome at finding the unfindable."

"I hope so," she sighed once more, taking another bite of her pasta.

A silence fell over them as they both enjoyed their food. Finn felt his gaze fall on his beautiful wife, and he allowed a smile to play on his lips. Every time he looked at her, he was hit with the realization that she was his. He almost had to pinch himself.

It was in these moments that he thought about the future, and what he wanted them to achieve as a family. "I think we should have a baby," Finn announced abruptly as he reached for his glass of wine.

Rachel chocked on the forkful of pasta she had just put in her mouth. She swallowed hard as she looked across at him."What?"

He reached his hand across and took her hand in his. "I think we should have a baby," he paused. "We should expand our family. I think we're ready."

"You think we're ready?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and felt him squeeze her fingers. "Finn, we're far from ready to add to our family."

He blinked, trying to digest what she just said. "Rach, we have the house. We both have great jobs. Camden is going to be 7 in February. We're settled. We're ready."

She shook her head. "We're not ready."

"Rachel," he took a deep breath as he tried to come up with what to say. "How can you say that?"

She pushed a piece of hair that had fallen behind her ear. "Finn..." She stalled. "What about your Masters?" She took a deep breath, trying not to let her emotions take over. "Are you ready to put that on hold again? You can't be serious right now," she sighed.

"Rach..." He groaned and rubbed his temples as he leaned his elbows on the table. "I couldn't be more serious. A baby with you? It's all I've ever wanted and dreamed of."

She looked across the table at him as she chewed her lip. "We can't right now...Camden..." her voice faltered as she thought about what a new baby would mean for her son.

"...will be okay. He's going to be an amazing big brother," he grinned. "And we'll have time to get him ready..."

"I just don't think it's a good time Finn," she sighed. "I...just...a baby isn't what we need right now." She grabbed for her napkin and wiped the sides of her mouth before standing up, dropping his hand with her clutch in the other.

"Babe," he tried to stand up to stop her. His heart thumped wildly.

"I just need to go to the washroom," she mumbled. "I'll be back."

Finn sighed as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face. That was not how he was expecting his declaration to be taken. He really wasn't sure how he had expected her to respond, but surely it wasn't like that. They were as ready as they could ever be, weren't they? He'd talked to enough people who all had the same thing. You were never truly ready to have a baby until the opportunity arises. He could hear it in her voice that Rachel just didn't feel the same way.

* * *

Rachel placed her hands down on the counter in the bathroom and let out a grunt of frustration. She stared into the mirror and tried to take a steadying breath. A baby. Finn wanted to have a baby. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. For so long she had dreamed about having Finn's baby. A lot of her dreams back in high school featured the two of them with a houseful of kids, ones that had his nose and hair with her smile, voice and penchant for dramatics. Then she had Camden and for awhile she couldn't imagine ever having another child, let alone a different child. She wasn't ready to have another baby. They weren't ready and Camden surely wasn't ready to share their attention. Everything was crazy right now, they were always on the go and Camden alone kept them on their toes. There was no way they could throw a newborn in the mix right now. Or even a pregnancy. She closed her eyes as she leaned forward for a moment, to collect her thoughts. How could she ever say any of this to Finn?

* * *

Finn's head shot up when he heard Rachel set her clutch down on the table and sat down in her chair. He put his phone to the side and gave her a hesitant smile. She reached for her wine glass immediately and took a sip, letting the liquid sit in her mouth for a moment before she swallowed. His eyes were boring into hers as both of them contemplated what to say.

"I love our family the way it is now," he started. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to have another child. One with your pretty eyes and smile. Maybe a little girl that's tiny like you?"

She stared at him. "It's not the right time Finn. We can't have a baby right now. It's just...it's not the right time," she shook her head with an air of finality.

She saw his features fall immediately. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of the words to say as their waiter appeared and took their plates, offering dessert menus. His attention turned immediately to the menu in front of him. She bit her lip as she watched him go through the menu before turning to her own. His brow was furrowed and she felt a little bad about slamming the door closed on the conversation.

He tried to focus on the menu in front of him. His mind was racing, he couldn't believe what she had said. He hadn't even fathomed that she could possibly feel differently from him. He thought they were on the same page. He thought he knew her. Maybe he didn't know his wife as well as he thought he did.

After having dessert, Finn settled the bill while Rachel shrugged on her coat. He followed her out of the restaurant, placing his hand on the small of her back through force of habit. Once they were in the car, they each became lost in their own thoughts. The radio played softly, filling the silence that had overcome them. Every time they came to a stop light, Finn happened to glance over at Rachel. She was facing the window, much like she had on the drive over but this time he was reluctant to reach over and touch her. He felt like something had shifted between them and it made him feel a little panicked.

They arrived home and once the car was in park he watched as she reached for the door handle. Finn rubbed his face as he watched her slowly get out of the car, and he followed slowly a few paces behind her. He wasn't quite quick enough and he stepped in the house once she had already kicked her heels off and disappeared. He did the same with his own shoes, walking through the house to find his parents in the living room.

"Oh. You're back," Carole smiled as she sat up from the position she had been in. Burt clicked the TV off.

He nodded quietly, sinking into the easy chair that was closest to where he was standing. "How was Cam?"

"He was good. We watched most of Big Hero 6 and he had some ice cream. He went to bed about an hour ago," She smiled gently. "When I checked last he was sleeping."

Finn nodded, leaning his elbows on his knees before rubbing his face tiredly.

"How did dinner go? We weren't expecting you guys back so soon," Carole enquired.

He sighed again, taking a deep breath. "It was fine."

She gave him a weary look before standing up from the couch. Burt followed suit, stopping behind Carole as she placed a hand on Finn's shoulder.

"You alright honey?"

Finn blinked before looking up at her. "Just great," he tried to smile. Carole studied him for a moment before pressing a kiss to his head.

He followed them to the front door, watching as they both put on their boots and coats. He saw his mother notice Rachel's heels by the door.

"She was tired. She went right upstairs," he mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. Both Burt and Carole nodded.

"Well tell her we said bye. We'll see you next week for Christmas," Carole smiled. Finn nodded and gave both of his parents a hug before seeing them out to their car. He waved as they pulled away before turning to lock up the house. He sighed as he leaned against the door for a moment before heading for the stairs in search of his wife, his heart thumping in his chest all the while.

He stopped to peak in on Camden first, smiling when he saw he had kicked off his comforter. He walked more into the room and fixed the colourful cover before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his head. "Sleep tight Pal. Love you," he whispered as Camden moved in his sleep. He tiptoed out of the room and closed the door almost all the way before letting out a breath. He ran his fingers through his hair before heading for his bedroom. He grabbed the doorknob and allowed a small smile to come to his face when the door opened easily. He stepped inside, the room cloaked in darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he heard the water running in the bathroom. He turned on the small lamp on his side of the bed before dropping down onto the bed for a moment. He rubbed his eyes hard as he let the silence in the room take him over. His mind wandered, wondering what she was doing in there as the water continued to run. He tried not to over analyze the events of the evening, but his mind kept playing the dinner conversation over and over in his mind. He rose from the bed and headed over to his dresser, pulling out a fresh pair of pajamas from his drawer. He was just stripping off his button down shirt when the door to the small en suite bathroom opened slowly. Finn felt himself tense immediately.

"Oh, I thought you were still downstairs," she whispered softly as she stood in the threshold of the bathroom.

He didn't turn to her at first, his shoulders sagging a little from the suddenly tense atmosphere.

Rachel's eyes immediately locked on his strong back, taking in his appearance. She chewed her lip as she watched the muscles in his back ripple as he finished pulling up his pajama pants. What was wrong with her? Why did she not want to have his baby right this moment? She blew out a breath when he straightened out, his hands clasping behind his head for second before they fell to his side again.

"Did your parents leave?" she asked quietly.

He turned around to look in her direction, his eyes softening a little when he saw her standing there. Gone was any trace of makeup she had worn to dinner, and her hair was down with the curls brushed out. But he didn't miss her stiff stance, her arms crossed over her chest. She chewed her lip once more as she looked at him.

"They did," he sighed. "They said goodbye."

She nodded, leaning her body against the door frame. "Did Cam give them a hard time after we..."

He shook his head, looking away from her for a moment before training his gaze on her once more. He walked over to the bed and sat down before looking at her again. "Mom said he was fine. I checked on him when I came up and he was sound asleep."

She nodded again before she looked down at her feet, not knowing what else to do at the moment.

"You can come sit you know," he sighed. "I won't bite."

She waited a beat before moving from her post against the door and walking towards him. The mattress sank under her weight a little just as she sighed. He hesitantly reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. He held it in his own for a minute, squeezing her fingers gently between his every so often. "Rach, I..."

"Finn, I'm sorry," she whimpered. Her voice trembled as the words fell from her lips.

He shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. It's my fault I shouldn't of..."

It was her turn to shake her head. She angled her body more towards his and placed her free hand on his cheek.

"You want to have a baby," she whispered as her thumb slid across his stubbly cheek. He licked his lips as he stared at her, their eye fusing together. "And I want to give you that baby. I want to have a houseful of kids with you. But Finn, you can't possibly think now is the right time to have one. We've finally gotten our groove. Cam is finally, somewhat getting used to his routine and your program has you so busy when you're home..." her voice trailed off as her hand dropped from his cheek, running down over his shoulder and down his arm. "I just...I need to think about it babe. This isn't something we can decide over night."

He nodded slowly, as he reached up and placed his hand on her neck. "I can wait. I'll wait forever if that's what you want. I just...I want to have a baby with you, give Cam a brother or sister. But I can wait. We both need to be on the same page especially on something this..."

"Life altering?" She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him intently.

He nodded before pulling her face closer to him. "It is a big step," he breathed as his mouth hovered over hers.

"The biggest," she whispered.

He moved his hand to her cheek just as his lips pressed against hers. She whimpered as his mouth opened to hers, his tongue seeking access to her mouth immediately. His hand that rested on her cheek moved to thread through her hair while his free one gripped her hip. When they broke apart for air, Rachel gasped as his lips trailed down her neck. She whimpered as he alternated between nipping and sucking at the skin of her neck.

"Finn..." she mumbled as her own hands clutched at his back.

"I love you Rachel," he whispered before sucking on a particularly sensitive part of her neck. He moved both his hands to grasp her hips, finding the bottom of her pajama top and gently tickling the bare skin he found there. She squirmed when he found a ticklish spot, using the moment to break away from his embrace and move up the bed more. Finn followed her up the bed, laying down beside her. He took a moment just to look at her as he pulled her closer to him, hugging her to his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his as they both just stared at each other. His large hand cradled the back of her head, gently forcing her head upwards so he could place a blistering kiss on her lips. She whimpered as his tongue entered her mouth. As he kissed her, his hands roamed over her body, coming to rest on her bottom. He pulled her closer as he kneaded her butt in his hands, sighing as he pulled her even closer to him.

"I love you so much," he groaned as she wrapped her arms around him, whimpering as she tried to get even closer to him. She dragged her lips away from his and trailed them down his neck slowly. His hands tightened on her ass as she found his pulse point and nipped lightly. His hand wandered from her ass to up and under her shirt, ghosting over her skin until she felt goosebumps appear. She whimpered into his neck as his hands trailed back down to the waist of her pajamas and made their way inside. When his hands came in contact with the naked skin of her ass, she moved her leg over his hip to be as close as possible. Finn groaned as her core pressed against his hardening member and he gently pushed her onto her back. He wasted no time in climbing on top of her, dropping his hips between her parted thighs.

They shed their pajamas quickly, both of them desperate to feel the others naked skin. Rachel gasped as Finn's mouth found her breast while her fingers took hold of his hair.

"Babe," she sighed as he switched breasts, his hands wandering over the expanse of her stomach before traveling lower. She moaned when his hand came in contact with her center, sighing at once as he touched her intimately. She could feel him against her thigh and she reached her hand down to touch him, her fingers dancing over his stomach before reaching his hard member. He jerked when her hand came in contact with his sensitive flesh, causing him to let out a less than manly noise. He leaned his head in the crook of her neck as she gently stroked him, running her thumb along his tip as he moaned against her throat. When it became too intense he pulled his own hand from between her thighs and moved to grab her wrist. He pulled her hand off gently, taking both her hands in his own and pulling them to rest above her head.

"I love you so much," he breathed as they looked at each other intently. She shifted her hips as they stared at each other, spreading her legs wider so they wrapped around his waist. She moaned as his hips rotated against her own, feeling his member graze her spot.

"Finnnnnn," she whimpered, shifting her hips again. Her heart thumped against her chest as she tightened her legs around him. She just wanted him inside her, and now. He groaned, pulling his hips back as he finally slipped inside her. They both moaned as they connected, Finn falling a bit to rest his elbows on the mattress on either side of her head.

"Baby," he breathed into the side of her head, moving his lips gently over her ear, grazing the outer shell before taking her earlobe between his teeth and nipping gently. She moaned as her hips thrusted up against his.

Finn poured every emotion he felt, every pent up feeling he had into his movements as he made love to his wife. Sweat began to dot his brow as he moved his hands over her body, resting them on her hips and pulling her closer as he continued to move inside of her. She arched against him as his grip tightened on her hips.

"Finnn," she whined, pushing her hips into his. "Touch me. Touch me please," she whimpered.

Finn responded, pressing her down into the mattress as his hips continued to piston against hers. He moved his hand between them, finding her pulsing bundle and groaning as he touched her while still moving against her.

He stopped his movements as he felt her pulsate around him and he knew it was only going to be moments. As he continued to thrust he watched as she threw her head back and felt her nails dig into his back. She cried out as the wave of euphoria took her and he felt his own release explode as she pressed her heels into his back, locking him as they both rode out their orgasms.

She tried to catch her breath as she slowly floated down from her high, her legs relaxing around his waist while he buried his head in her shoulder, placing soft, open mouthed kisses along her neck. Her fingers clutched his neck, playing with the hair she found there. When she couldn't anymore, she let her legs drop to the mattress. He rolled over onto his back, taking her with him so her head rested on his chest.

She laid her head on her arm, looking up at him with sleepy, dazed eyes. The fingers of her free hand danced along his chest as they made random, lazy patterns.

"That was..." she blew out a breath as he looked down at her with a lazy grin on his face.

His own hand rested on her hip, his thumb tracing the infinity symbol that rested there.

"It was," he laughed softly as his fingers danced on her skin. Their eyes were locked on each others, each basking in the intimate moment. Finn stared down at her as his hand moved from its position on her hip over to run his fingers through her hair.

"I love you," she whispered as she lifted her head.

He knotted his fingers in her hair as she looked up at him. "I love you too," he whispered, leaning his head to meet hers in a gentle kiss.

* * *

He woke up before her the next morning which was unusual. He moved his arm gently, trying to move it out from where she lay on it, his other arm was wrapped around her middle. He ghosted his lips against her neck, smiling gently as she sighed in her sleep. He moved her messy hair behind her ear before pressing a kiss to her earlobe as she backed her body into his unconsciously. He sighed as he wrapped his free arm around her tighter, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. His nose nuzzled the spot behind her ear as he breathed in her scent, closing his eyes so he could immerse himself for a moment. His mind wandered as he held her, she was so beautiful and he still couldn't believe that he was able to be with her this way. It was moments like this, in the quiet of the morning that he loved the most. Things were simple, uncomplicated when he just got to hold her. She was so beautiful, and she was his. He felt a little guilty about the way he had brought up the baby subject last night. He hadn't meant to drop it on her in the middle of dinner, hadn't meant to effectively sabotage their anniversary meal. He'd never been good with words, he knew that. He didn't have a lot of discretion, apparently. But seeing her face drop when he announced that he thought they should have a child together absolutely broke his heart.

"If you think we should wait, we can wait," he whispered into her ear. "I can't wait to have a baby with you. But I love you too much to force you into something you don't think we're ready for."

She shifted against him once more and he almost groaned when she pushed herself into him. She rolled in his arms and she attempted to focus her eyes as a lazy smile graced her face.

"What time is it?" she asked softly as stretched her arms out over her head.

"Early," he whispered. She nodded and brought her arms back down, letting one rest on his chest. She reached up and pressed a kiss on his lips. "I just want to lay here all day."

She smiled a little as she looked up at him. "That sounds amazing. But I know a certain little boy that is probably going to be up soon."

Finn playfully groaned as she smacked his chest. "Come on. I have something for you," she grinned as she took hold of his hands.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Your anniversary gift," she smiled softly as she slid out of his arms and turned to grab something from the nightstand beside her. "I didn't get a chance to give it to you last night..." She chewed her lip as she held the envelope out to him. He took it from her gently before tugging her back on the bed. He reached over and pulled her lip from her mouth.

"Hey. It's okay," he whispered as he kissed her lightly. "We're fine..."

She sighed and leaned her body into his as he opened the envelope. She'd picked a card that was simple, yet stated exactly how she felt about him. Tucked inside the card was a pair of tickets to an upcoming Bonnie Dune concert he had mentioned wanting to catch if he could.

"Babe, you didn't have to..." he started as he held the tickets in his hand.

She shook her head. "Yes I did. You deserve a fun night out. I'll understand if you want to take Noah or Paul from work..."

"Why would I want to take them when I could take my beautiful wife?" He smiled as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks Babe. These are great."

She nodded as he leaned over to grab the gift he had left in his nightstand as well. She smiled gently when he handed her the box and card. She took it gingerly from him and opened the card first. She smiled at the sentimental message on the front before opening it to read what he had written inside. She blushed before leaning over to peck his cheek. She went for the small box he had wrapped in pink paper and gently tore at it. She opened the box to reveal the small bracelet inside. It was silver, consisting of several small infinity symbols separated by white sapphires. She gasped as she held it in her hand, looking at the intricate bracelet in the box.

"It's beautiful. Thank you baby," she smiled.

Finn returned her smile."I'm glad you like it."

He took the box gently from her and took the small bracelet out of the box. He took her hand in his and wrapped the delicate bracelet around her wrist. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to the skin where it rested. He smiled as he pulled away, giving her a soft smile. She leaned into him for a moment as his arms wrapped around her. They sat there together, soaking in the moment of calm.

"Mommmmmmmmmy. Daddddddddy I'm hungry..." Camden's small voice came from the other side of their bedroom door followed by a tap on the wood. Rachel sighed against Finn's side as he kissed the top of her head.

"Coming Pal," Finn called as he let go of Rachel and slid out from her arms. He grabbed his pajamas from the floor where he had discarded them last night. He grinned at Camden when he opened the door and swooped the little boy up in his arms to take him downstairs.

Rachel smiled when she heard Finn speaking to Camden about making pancakes and feeding Perry as he giggled. She swung her own legs over the bed and laughed to herself when she heard a pan clank to the floor downstairs. She quickly slipped some pajamas on before heading downstairs to save her boys from the disaster they were surely making in the kitchen and start their day.

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	2. January 2027

**Thank you so much to everyone for al**l** of your beautifu**l** reviews! It tru**l**y makes my day that you a**l****l** are enjoying thi**s so much!  
I have to thank my twitter posse once more for a**l****l** of their end**l**ess support. Speci**a**l** thanks to firewifesara for **l**etting me fi**l****l** her inbox with nonsense.******

**Al****l the usua**l** disc**l**aimers ap**p**l**y. I on**l**y own Camden and the p**l**ot. As we**l****l** as any other OC's. A**l****l** mistakes are mine and mine a**l**one.  
Enjoy!****

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**_January 2027_**

Rachel stood in the dining room, admiring her handiwork. She adjusted the belt of the dress she wore, giving the table a critical once over. She wanted tonight to go perfectly. She straightened the place mat once more so that it was perfectly straight. Once she was satisfied she stepped back again, just as the timer on the oven buzzed. Rachel skipped into the kitchen and pulled the pan containing Finn's steak from the oven and placed it on the stovetop. She checked to make sure it was cooked thoroughly before placing the lid back on the pan and placing it back in the oven after she turned the element off. She checked the clock and smiled when she noticed she had a few more minutes before she was expecting Finn.

She wanted to do something special for Finn. He had been working so hard in the last few weeks, balancing his work with his class of second graders, working on another paper for his classes and spending time with both her and Camden. It worked out perfectly, Camden had had an early dismissal today because of teacher development so she had taken the afternoon off to spend time with him while Finn attended his meetings. Her father's had picked up Camden afterwards to take him back to Lima with them for the evening. They were going to collect him tomorrow afternoon as they had already planned to go down to visit for Burt's birthday Saturday afternoon.

She had done a lot of thinking in the last few weeks, specifically about what Finn had brought up on their anniversary. She wanted to have a baby with him, and the more she thought about it she didn't know what was holding her back from jumping on her dream. So she'd decided she would put together a fancy dinner just for the two of them so she could tell him that she'd change her mind. She wanted to have his baby.

The rumbling of the garage door opener brought her out of her thoughts abruptly. She straightened the belt around her waist once more before rushing into the dining room to dim the lights. She had soft music playing in the background, a mix she had made a few days ago when Finn had gone to bed early with a headache. She heard the door open and she blew out a breath as she heard the distinctive heavy footsteps that signalled Finn was home.

"Rach," he called. "You here babe?"  
She frowned when she heard how exhausted he sounded. Her heart thumped in her chest as she poured the wine she had chilled into the two glasses on the table. She picked them up and turned around just in time to see him coming through the kitchen. She smiled gently as she held the two glasses in her hands.

"Babe," he sighed as he dropped the bag he was carrying to the floor. He walked into the dining room and stopped in front of her. "What's this?"

She smiled softly as she clutched the glasses in her grasp. She could feel the heat from the candles that were burning on the table through the thin material of the dress she was wearing.

"Just a little private dinner for the two of us," she smiled as she extended one of the glasses of wine out to him. She saw him swallow hard as he took the glass from while he raked his eyes over her form. The dress was one of his favourites, black with a lace overlay and a brown belt around her waist.

"It's not my birthday," he said softly, his eyes boring into hers.

"It's not. I just thought you deserved it," she whispered. She trained her eyes on his as she watched him take a sip of the wine. She took the glass from him when he moved it away from his lips and placed it on the table behind her. She leaned up on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She felt him respond lazily, his lips grazing hers gently. "Why don't you sit, and I'll grab dinner?"

He stared at her for a long moment before following her directions. She returned to the kitchen to grab the steak she had made for him and the eggplant shells she had made for herself.

"Babe, where's Camden?" She heard his tired voice call from the dining room.

She walked into the dining room with both of their plates, a soft smile on her lips. "My dad's picked him up after lunch. We'll see him tomorrow afternoon for Burt's birthday party."

He nodded slowly as she placed the plate in front of him.

"This looks amazing sweetheart," he smiled as he looked up at her. She smiled down at him as he turned his body so he was facing her. He reached his hands out to grab her waist and pulled her towards him. She giggled softly as she fell into his lap. Her hands grasped his scruffy cheeks in her hands, leaning forward to press a sweet kiss to his lips.

"You didn't have to make me a steak," he sighed when they pulled away. His hand came up to her cheek and he brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Yes I did," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, finding the short hairs on the back of his neck. Her fingers twisted in them, tugging gently. "You've worked so hard these last few weeks and I just wanted to spoil you."

He gave her a touched look, his hands coming to rest on her hips. "Thank you," he whispered quietly.

She smiled as she leaned in and placed another kiss on his cheek before going to move off his lap. He stopped her as he tightened his grip on her hips, pulling her down against him. She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her into his chest. She looked up at him as he stared down at her and she couldn't help but let a small smile come to her features. Despite the exhaustion that graced his features, he looked content and happy. She'd made the right choice, both in throwing this dinner for him and the announcement she was going to make as well.

When they pulled apart she heard him groan appreciatively as she walked around the table to her seat.

"How was your day?" She asked quietly as she took a bite of the shell.

"It was okay. Shorter, as you know. But the meetings afterwards were brutal," he groaned as he picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth. "Mark just seemed to go on and on about protocol for sick days and time off. Then we had someone come in from the board to talk about inclusion and babe, I could have given a better presentation."

"Well you are studying it," she winked as she reached for her wine glass.

"What about you? What did you get up to today?"

She smiled as she looked at him. "Not much. Went to the grocery store this morning to get this stuff, cleaned up a bit and then picked up Cam at lunch time. My dad's stopped in when they picked him up so it was nice to see them."

He nodded as he listened to her talk about her day.

"Is your steak okay?"

He nodded. "It's perfect."

When they were finished their meal, Rachel stood up to clear the table. She was approaching his side when he stood up abruptly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Leave it," he whispered as he pulled the plate from her hand. His breath was hot on her neck as he pulled her against him.

"Finn..."

"I'll clean it up later..." he mumbled as he placed a kiss on her neck. She shivered at the feeling of his lips against her skin. "Come sit with me."

She turned in his arms and looked deep in his eyes. She felt her body tremble as his gaze pierced hers. It was rare that they had a night alone, and she could see that Finn was formulating plans on how the rest of the evening should go. She bit her lip as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her towards him. She could only nod as she continued to stare at him.

He started to pull her into the living room before she tugged on his hand.

"Come upstairs with me," she whispered.

She watched his eyes dilate and she walked backwards, leading him up the stairs. She pulled him into their room and then into the bathroom, where she had set up more candles around the large bathtub. She stood in front of him as she watched his eyes roam around the room, taking in the set up.

"You did this all for me?" he asked softly as he stared at her. She shrugged, turning to look at him.

"I did it for us," she whispered. "Kind of a do-over for our anniversary."

She watched his features fall slightly before his mouth quirked.

"Babe," he whispered. His hands as he pulled her into his arms. "We don't need a do-over. If I remember correctly it ended pretty well."

She smacked his arm as she pulled away to go and start the tub.

He watched her intently as she moved through the room, and he couldn't help but approach her and grab her hips.

"Finn," she whispered as she turned back to look at him. His eyes bore into hers before he leaned into her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. The kiss escalated as the tub filled behind them, Finn's hands finding the zipper of her dress and gently tugging it down. They undressed each other quickly, both of them in a hurry to be close to the other. Finn groaned as he watched her shimmy out of her underwear, his hands immediately reaching out for her once again. He pulled her close to him, feeling her skin underneath his hands. She responded in kind, her hands moving to span his back as his mouth found her neck. She sighed when he hit her pulse point, her eyes closing at the sensation. It had been a long time since they were able to just spend time with each other. Every other intimate encounter was usually hasty and rushed. Camden slept well through the night, but there was always the chance he could wake up and interrupt them.

They pulled away to get into the tub and Rachel sighed as she leaned back against his chest, his strong arms wrapping around her.

"This is perfect," he whispered against her head as his fingers danced over her stomach. Her eyes drifted closed for a moment as she let the sensations of being this close to her husband take her over. "I'm glad we're doing this."

She opened her eyes and tilted her head up to look at him. She gave him a soft smile. He nuzzled her jaw with his nose as they sat there, the warm sudsy water and soft music lulling them into a peaceful trance. She sighed when his teeth grazed her earlobe and his fingers gently touched her breasts.

"Finn," she whined as his touch became more insistent.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled as he continued to touch her intimately. She swallowed hard as she fought hard against the sensation he was enticing out of her. It would be so easy to give into the sensations, she lived for these intimate moments with Finn.

She shifted in his lap, pulling away from him slightly trying to gain control. She wanted to tell him. She needed to tell him before things got out of hand, and they were heading that way quickly. "Finn, I just...I want to talk to you about something," her voice came out weak and airy.

His movements stopped immediately, his fingers moving to rest on her stomach again. They dropped as she slowly tried to turn around to face him. His eyes were dark as he stared at her. She bit her lip as she looked at him, her strength faltering.

"Babe," he whispered. "What is it?"

She sighed as she raised her hands to hold his cheeks much like she had done down in the dining room.

"I was wrong," she whispered. A confused expression crossed his features as he looked at her, trying to deduce what she said.

"Wrong? Rachel, wrong about what?" The thoughts began to circulate in his mind, going from bad to worse. "Rach? If this is about the..." They had a small disagreement earlier in the week about a load of laundry that had been left in the washer too long. Finn had thought that they had gotten passed it. He was questioning that now.

"I want to have a baby," she blurted out with a gush of breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest as her eyes drifted to the soapy water they were sitting in.

"You...you do?"

She could hear the hesitance in his voice as he asked the question. Her heart ached from the way it sounded. She had put that there. She wanted to take it away.

Finn couldn't believe his ears. He almost reached over to pinch himself but he couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from her. His heart thumped in his chest as the words replayed over in his head. What had changed? A month ago she had protested vehemently about why they couldn't have a baby right now, why they weren't ready and now she was saying she wanted to.

"I do," she whispered, as if reading his thoughts. "I know I said before that we weren't ready and that it would be too much but the more I think about it Finn the more I want it to come true. But I'm so scared at the same time."

His fingers traced her cheekbones as he looked deep into her eyes. "Scared?"

She nodded, leaning into his touch. "I'm so scared but I want to try more than anything. I want to have a baby with you."

He grinned slowly as he looked at her for a moment, but it faded as he thought about what she said. "Babe, what are you scared about? A baby is a beautiful..."

She paused, looking down at her hands. She moved them to touch his chest gently. "I'm not just scared, I'm terrified. I'm terrified that if we have a baby...a baby that is purely yours and purely mine that you won't love Camden anymore," she added quietly.

"Rachel..." his voice trailed as a sigh was emitted from his lips. "That's never going to happen. Ever." He took her chin in his and stared in her eyes. He saw the fear reflected back in her eyes. She was really worried about this. "I promised you when we got back together. I promised again when we got married. I love that little boy more than I love breathing. He's mine as much as he's yours. Yes, it's not my blood running through his veins but he has my last name just like our baby will. And that's more than enough to call him mine." His thumb rubbed across her jaw. "What made you change your mind?"

She bit her lip as she looked at him. She shrugged as her fingers trailed over his chest, trailing down to trace his tattoo on his hip. "Babe?"

"Watching you with Camden," she whispered. "Watching you read to him, play with him despite how tired you were from work, or if you'd stayed up the night before finishing a paper you still got down on the floor and played with him. And that made me love you more and made me want to take that step with you. I just don't want it to change anything."

"It's going to change things. But it's going to be a great change. In the end we'll have two beautiful children that are going to be the best part of you and I. Or maybe more than two," he grinned.

She chuckled as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she laughed as his hand ventured around her neck. "We're not even pregnant yet."

"Than we better get to work, shouldn't we?" He smiled as he pulled her face closer to hers and placed a blistering kiss on her lips.

* * *

She giggled uncontrollably as he grabbed for her waist while they made their way up the front steps to his parents house. She swatted him as his gloved hands made their way through the opening between the buttons of her coat, trying to tickle her.

"Would you stop?" She laughed as she stopped abruptly before starting for the stairs that led to the porch.

"Stop what?" He asked innocently as he held up his hands. "I can't help it if I can't keep my hands off you..." he growled as he pulled her against him, his lips finding her neck.

"Down boy," she laughed, pulling out of his arms. She pecked his cheek before taking his hand and pulling him up the stairs.

They knocked on the door of Finn's parents house before making their way inside.

"Hello?" Rachel called as she shrugged off her coat. "Anyone here?"

"Mommmmmmmmmmmy!" A flash of brown hair went by her as Camden flew as fast as he could into the foyer of the house. "Dadddddddddddy!" He launched himself into Finn's waiting arms. He'd barely had a moment to crouch to catch the little boy.

"Hey Pal," Finn laughed as he stood up, Camden on his hip.

"Daddy, Nana maked cookies," he grinned as he took Finn's face in his hands.

Finn dropped his jaw in exaggeration as he looked at Camden. "She did? Did you eat them all?"

"Noooo," Camden giggled. "She won't let me..."

"I let him have one," Carole's voice filled the foyer as she came to join the family. "He's just trying to pull a fast one, aren't you baby?" She walked over and tugged Camden's sweatpants.

Camden giggled as he leaned his head on Finn's shoulder.

"Did you guys have a good night?" She asked as Camden squirmed down from Finn's arms and darted down the hallway when he heard Burt's voice calling for him.

Rachel blushed as she looked down at her feet.

"I'll take that as a yes," she patted Rachel's arm as she laughed while Finn and Rachel grinned at each other. Camden's giggle filled the main floor as they began to walk towards the living room. "We should go save the birthday boy," she chuckled.

* * *

The doorbell rang as Rachel made her way down the staircase, Camden's laughter coming from the living room. Kurt and Blaine had arrived shortly after they had and Camden had commanded their attention almost immediately. They were in the process of adopting a baby from China and had taken to spending as much time with Camden as they could. She smiled as she looked in on them in the living room. They were sitting on the couch with Camden between them reading a story. She could hear Blaine giving Pete the Cat funny voices. She heard Carole call out for Finn to get the door while she walked into the kitchen.

"Carole, are you sure there is nothing I can do?" She leaned against the threshold of the room as she smiled at her mother-in-law. Carole was leaned over the oven pulling out the lasagna she had made for dinner. Rachel had asked her a few times over the course of the early afternoon if she could help. Each time Carole had assured her she was fine and sent her into the living room.

"I'm sure sweetie," she smiled as she stood up with the lasagna in her hands. The house got louder as the guests at the door. "Go see who's here."

She nodded and took her mother-in-laws directive. She smiled when she walked into the front hallway where Finn was embracing his cousin Sara. They didn't get to see her or her family very often so it was always great when they could.

"Rachel," the older woman smiled as she broke away from Finn and opened her arms. "It has been way too long."

Out of all of Finn's extended family members, Sara was the one her and Finn were closest to as she was closest in age to them. "It has. Where are Mike and the girls?"

"The truck. There was a battle royal over some game they were playing on the way over so he's giving them a lecture," she huffed as she rolled her eyes. Rachel chuckled as Finn wrapped his arm around her waist. "Where's your little guy?"

"Oh he's around here somewhere," she chuckled as they walked towards the living room together. "Probably getting fed lots and lots of sugar by people who won't have to deal with the melt down later," Finn chuckled just as a blur of brown hair attempted to run past them into the kitchen. "Here he is!"

"Daddy, put me down!" he whined as he immediately began to protest.

"Where were you going in such a hurry, huh? Can you say hi to Sara?"

He immediately froze in Finn's arms as Sara waved at him. He buried his head in Finn's shoulder as the front door opened again and Sara's family came in.  
Camden stuck his fingers in his mouth as he looked up Finn. "Cookies."

"See what I mean?" Finn chuckled as he ruffled Camden's hair. "You don't need a cookie Pal."

"You've gotten so big Camden," Sara smiled while glancing at Rachel. "How about I go get you a cookie?"

His eyes lit up as he looked at Finn and then at Sara.

"Thanks Sara," Finn groaned.

She patted his arm. "Consider it payback," she chuckled as she walked back towards the kitchen.

Finn, Rachel and Camden mingled as more of their extended family poured into the house. The house was soon filled with a good mix of relatives from both sides of their family. Burt was turning 60 years old, and Carole had wanted to throw him a big party to celebrate. When Kurt had suggested renting a room at Mario's, Burt had balked at the idea of that much attention being given to his birthday. So he had settled from a party at the house, open house style. As more people came to the house, Camden clung closer to Finn and Rachel. Not even Carole or Burt could get him to leave their sides. There was a lot of new people in the room, as they didn't see a lot of the extended family often and he was being extra shy as it was.

Rachel played with his hair as she sat on the couch talking with Burt's sister Cathy about the house she had just bought in Toledo.

"We wanted to move to be closer to Jessica, she just had her first little girl on Wednesday," she smiled with what could only be described as grandmotherly pride.

"You must have pictures," Rachel smiled as Camden wiggled in her lap. Finn walked in the room and sat down beside them, a glass of juice in his hand. Camden immediately clamoured over to sit on his lap. Finn grunted when he landed particularly hard in his lap. Cathy produced her cell phone and showed Rachel several pictures of her newborn granddaughter.

Finn smiled as he watched Rachel ooh and awe over the pictures of the days old infant.

"She's gorgeous," Rachel smiled. "Isn't she Finn?" Cathy held up the phone for him to see.

He nodded. "What a head of hair!"

Cathy smiled proudly as she put the phone away. "When are you guys going to have another one?"

"It's been discussed," she smiled warmly at Cathy before turning to Finn and giving him a small smile as he placed his hand on her thigh.

* * *

If she had thought it through, Rachel probably would have planned to stay in Lima over night. But being that Camden had been away from home the night before, she had wanted to take him home to his own bed. But as she listened to him tantrum as Finn attempted to help him with his coat, she was immediately cursing her poor planning.

"No Daddy," she groaned as she heard him stomp his foot as Finn tried to help put his arm through the hole.

"Camden, you need to put on your coat. We can't leave Nana's house until you have your coat on," Finn's voice dripped with exasperation.

"Noo Daddy." Big crocodile tears began to cascade down Camden's cheeks as he stared up at Finn. He was beyond exhausted and didn't know what to do with himself. "Mommy..." He turned to look at her, his blue eyes watery from his tears.

"Come on Cam. Just let Daddy help you put your coat on," she soothed as she crouched beside him as he hiccupped. "We need to get home to see Perry."

"No go home Mommy," he cried as his tears took over. Rachel's heart ached as she wiped his tears. Finn managed to get his arms in the sleeves of his jacket while he was distracted. When he realized what was going on he fought against Finn for a moment before giving in and letting a sob emit from his mouth. He continued to cry as both Carole and Burt came out of the living room to say goodbye. Finn finally got his coat on him and as a pair they got it zipped up while Camden's tears slowed down.

Finn flinched as he lifted a squirming and crying Camden up into his arms.

"We'll see you later, alright Buddy?" Burt smiled. "Thanks for helping me blow out the candles."

Camden hiccupped, an odd cry coming from his lips as he tried to calm down. "Nana..." he trained his watery eyes on Carole who smiled slightly.

"Have a good night buddy. I love you," she smiled gently. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his head before Finn moved to take him outside.

"Sorry about that," Rachel mumbled as she hugged both of them. "He's tired and..."

Burt held up his hand. "Don't worry about it. Just get our boy home. Thanks for coming Rachel."

She smiled. "We wouldn't have missed it. Good night."

She walked out to the car and smiled softly when she saw Camden's eyes were already drooping from where he sat in his booster seat. He hiccupped every so often, fighting sleep as Finn started up the car to make the long drive back to Cincinnati.

By the time they hit the highway, Camden had fully succumbed to his exhaustion and subsequent sugar crash.

"They had a good turnout for the party, don't you think?" she asked quietly.

"They did. I know Mom was worried that not many people were going to show up but it looked like a lot did. Even Kurt's Uncle David made it down and Burt was saying he hasn't shown up for anything in at least ten years," Finn commented as he changed lanes and accelerated.

"Was that the man Kurt was sitting with at dinner?" She asked quietly.

Finn nodded. "He's Elizabeth's younger brother. He really took an interest in Camden during cake. Camden wanted nothing to do with him," he chuckled.

"Camden wanted nothing to do with anyone today," she laughed.

"There was too much going on. And I'm sure he was sugared at your dads this morning and then again when he was dropped off to my parents," he chuckled. "It's a wonder our meltdown wasn't worse."

"You get to carry him into the house when we get home, just for saying that," she sighed. He may be a sound sleeper once he was down, but moving him was sometimes a feat. Especially with how exhausted he was.

They made small talk through the rest of the drive, talking about how the party was and what they would pick up at the grocery store tomorrow.

"I also have to work on my paper a little bit tomorrow. Do you need me to come grocery shopping, or is that something you can do with Camden?"

She chewed her lip as she thought about it for a moment. Camden was usually good when they went shopping, but given tonight's exhaustion level the success of the trip would depend on how much sleep he got tonight.

"Yeah. I can do that. Of course I want you to come with us but if you need the quiet I can take him with me..."

Finn nodded. "Thanks babe. I appreciate it," he turned to look at her for a moment giving her a light smile. He placed his hand on her thigh as they drove.

She let her mind drift as they sped towards Cincinnati, Camden's light snores compensating for the silence. Now that she'd made up her mind and told Finn about the desire she had to have a baby, it was becoming more real. And after Camden's exhaustion meltdown, she was beginning to question if she was truly crazy to add a newborn to the mix. But it was what she wanted. She wanted another baby. They'd get through it together. They always did.

By the time they pulled into the driveway, Rachel felt her own eyes getting heavy as Finn turned off the car. She tiredly pulled herself out of the car as Finn moved to get Camden out, unlocking and holding the door open for him. Camden whined in his sleep as Finn carried him into the house and Rachel held her breath as he moved towards the stairs. He quickly changed him into pajamas as Rachel pulled his blankets back. When he was tucked in, they both stood back and watched him as a small sigh left Camden's lips. She followed him back to their bedroom and quickly went through the motions of getting ready for bed. Finn left her upstairs to take Perry out quickly. When he returned she was already under the covers and raised her arms for him to join her.

He snuggled up to her after he had stripped down to his boxers and put on pajamas, nuzzling his nose in the crook of her neck.

"I've never been so excited to sleep," he sighed as she snuggled deeply into his arms.

"Me either. I didn't even do much today and I'm exhausted," she yawned. "Are we crazy for wanting to have another one?" She turned her head to look back at him for a moment. She had to know what he thought. He had been the one to deal with Camden's meltdown the most tonight and she had to know whether it had shaken his confidence about having another baby.

He chuckled sleepily into her neck. "Maybe. But we'll be crazy together. And that's good enough for me."

"Me too," she sighed as her eyes closed. "I can't wait."

* * *

_**Thoughts? So there, Rache**l**'s on the same page now...**_


	3. August 2027

**Well...here we are! Enjoy!  
As always, I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone from gLee. Just Camden and the plot. Any medical mistakes are mine, I don't pretend to be a professional.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

**_August 2027_**

She sat on the exam table waiting for Dr. Bartholomew to come in the room. The t-shirt she was wearing felt too restricting, the air conditioning in the room making her skin prick. It had been six months since her and Finn had mutually agreed that it was time to start trying for a baby. She was realistic, she knew it wasn't going to happen right away. She wasn't young anymore; she'd read enough to know that it might take her a little longer to get pregnant this time. Not that she really knew how long it had taken her to get pregnant with Camden; she hadn't exactly been keeping track or trying at all for that matter. He had been a complete surprise that was a result, she had later figured out, of a course of antibiotics for a bout with tonsillitis. So perhaps it hadn't taken her long at all. But nonetheless, this six months business was beginning to nag at her.

"Hello Rachel," a gentle, calming voice broke through her thoughts. She smiled at the older woman.

"Hi Dr. Bartholomew, how are you?" She smiled softly, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm great. And you? How's your gorgeous family?" She asked as she sat down on her stool.

"I'm great. They're great," she smiled warmly. "We've been trying to add to our family."

"So it says here," Dr. Bartholomew smiled as she looked at her chart. "What brings you in today?"

Rachel fiddled with her wedding ring for a minute.

"I just wanted to get a check up. We've been trying for six months and nothing's happened yet. I know it can take awhile, but this isn't my first pregnancy..."

"How long did it take you to conceive Camden?" Dr. Bartholomew looked up from her notepad.

She shrugged. "I wasn't trying with him. He was a happy miracle," she smiled brightly. She could say that now, years later. The latter half of her pregnancy with

Camden had been some of the darkest times of her life. Dr. Bartholomew nodded.

"Well, you said that you've been actively trying for six months?"

Rachel blushed while she nodded."Yes, actively absolutely," she grinned knowingly. A particularly hot afternoon floated to her mind.

_Her back slammed against the wall as Finn pushed her into it, trapping her trembling body against it with his. She gasped as his hips bucked into hers, moaning at the feel of his manhood pressing at the space between her legs. His mouth placed a blistering kiss on hers, causing her to lose all breath and stream of thought. His hands gripped her hips as her legs wrapped around his waist causing them both to moan as they pressed together._

_"Finn," she sighed as his lips travelled from her lips to her jaw and further down. She bucked her hips against his as his hands found her ass, groaning as he squeezed._

_"Fuck, I love you," he stumbled as he pushed her dress up so it was resting on her hips. He pinned her to the wall with his hips as his hands found the lace of her panties and gently toyed with the band. She'd been taunting him all day, wearing the sundress he loved so much, laying out in the backyard while he worked away at landscaping. And then she had bit her lip in that seductive way and he'd turned off the lawn mower, grabbed her around the waist and hurried her into the house._

_Her keening moan as his hand pressed between her legs, cupping her brought him back down to earth. Her head sank to his shoulder as her hands clasped his back and her hips continued to rock. As he began to touch her intimately Rachel pressed her body into Finn's as her teeth found the crook of his neck. Finn felt his knees growing weak as his need to be close to his wife escalated. She moaned desperately as he finally found the strength to push them both away from the wall. He groaned as he stumbled back into the opposing wall that led to the living room. He turned his head and glanced at the couch but could feel his legs quickly turning to jelly as she brought her mouth to his pulse point._

_"Hold on tight," he slurred as he pushed away from the wall, sinking quickly to his knees. His hands braced her back as he tried to place her as gently as he could on the floor. She dug her feet into his ass as she reached for his basketball shorts and ripped them down in a blink, taking his boxers with them. He pushed her dress up further and hissed when her hands fell to his dick. His hands found the band of her panties once more, pulling at them urgently until the fabric gave way._

_"Fuck baby," he nearly lost it as she held firmly to his dick and pulled him to her center._

_"Finnnn...," she cried as he snapped his hips back and entered her roughly. She dug her nails into his shoulders as his hips slammed against her. She arched her back to meet his thrusts as a litany of curses fell from her lips. Suddenly she pushed up on his chest, forcing him with brute strength onto his back._

_"Ugh," he grunted as she sat up on his hips, leveraging herself with her hands on his chest as she rotated her hips. "Fuck, Rach...ugh..." His eyes squeezed tightly as she rode him until the burning sensation that had been building in the pit of her stomach rose higher._

_"Finn," she hissed as she closed her eyes and arched her back. Her voice and movements increased in speed and crescendo as Finn's hands encircled her waist and pulled her down so their hips were meeting tightly. Finn groaned as he felt her pulsing around him and couldn't help but let the sensation of finally releasing into her overtake him. _

"And when was your last period?" She asked, staring at Rachel intently.

Rachel nibbled her lip as she thought about her cycle. "I had a little bit of light spotting earlier this month, it was like less than a day. My last full period was probably earlier in July? My cycle has always been all over the place since I had Camden," she bit a little harder.

Dr. Bartholomew looked at her for a moment before continuing with her exam.

"Did Rose grab a urine sample when you came in?"

Rachel nodded.

"Depending what the results of the urinalysis is, we might send you for a blood test. While we wait for those results, why don't you hop on down and we'll weigh you."

Rachel groaned at the thought of being weighed. Marriage and a an active child and work schedules had made her a little lax with her diet. She shucked off her shoes and approached the scale menacingly as the doctor laughed.

"120 right on the dot. Have you changed your diet significantly?" She asked.

She shrugged. "Life is busy. We've been eating a little lazily with our wacky schedules."

"You've actually lost weight Rachel. On your last visit you weighed in at 124 pounds. While 4 pounds isn't cause for alarm, for a woman trying to conceive it could be something to take into consideration if fertility seems to be an issue."

That didn't make Rachel feel any better. She took her lip between her teeth as she walked back over to the bed and sat down, just as a knock sounded on the door. Dr. Bartholomew got up to answer it, as a nurse passed an envelope through the door. She sat back down as she opened the envelope.

"Alright, so you're not on birth control, you're actively trying..." she trailed as she pulled out the lab results. She stared at it for a few moments, studying the results before she looked up at Rachel with a smile on her face. "And it seems, Rachel that all of your active trying has worked after all. We'll order a blood test to confirm but according to your urine test you are in fact pregnant."

The rest of her visit was a blur. Dr. Bartholomew gave her a requisition to get her blood drawn and she set up an appointment to come back again in a few weeks to date her pregnancy. Together they had figured she was approximately 5 weeks along, but they couldn't be sure for a few more weeks. Nonetheless, she was pregnant.

She was pregnant.

She walked back to her car almost in a daze. She dropped her keys as she tried to jam them in the lock, grunting when she couldn't get it to engage fast enough. Once she was inside, she sank down in the seat and sighed as she leaned her head back against the headrest for a moment. She blew out a breath as she opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the car for a moment. She leaned forward to put her key in the ignition. As the car started up, her hands fell away from the steering wheel for a second and she allowed her hands to fall to her flat stomach for moment. She slid her thumb along the soft cotton of her t-shirt for a brief second. Her eyes got misty as she thought of the baby growing inside of her, a baby that her and Finn had made, had tried so hard for. She sighed as she leaned back in the seat again, closing her eyes allowing it to sink in for a few more minutes.

_She picked at her nail beds, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the clock run down. The queasiness in her stomach rose as the alarm went off. It was the moment of truth. She had been sick for the past week, throwing up everything and anything that touched her lips. She was sure it was just the flu because her and Nathan were so careful. But as she grabbed the beige stick on her counter, her mind raced with the possibility that maybe all of their careful planning had been in vain. She brought it over to herself face down as her heart beat wildly as she flipped it over. A very clear plus sign made her breath hitch and heart stop. Rachel was pregnant. How was she going to tell Nathan? She immediately dropped her head to her hands and sobbed until her voice went hoarse._

* * *

She walked around the bookstore, a basket hanging over her arm. She'd driven over to the mall after she finally collected herself in the parking lot. She didn't want to go home, she needed a distraction. She was pregnant, and she didn't know how she felt about it at the moment. There had been no signs, no preparation. With Camden she had all of them, she'd been sick, her boobs had been extremely tender and she had had a migraine for days. This time, nothing. She was also 8 weeks when she had found out about Camden. Dr. Bartholomew had guesstimated her to be around 4-5 weeks, but it wasn't concrete. She turned down another aisle, her eyes not even focusing on the books in front her until the section she needed caught her eye.

She pulled out a familiar book, staring at the cover. What To Expect When You're Expecting had been her bible when she was pregnant with Camden. Her copy, long gone, had been tattered when she had finally let it go. It had made way for the library of books she had on Down Syndrome. She picked up the heavy book and placed it in her basket before continuing to go through the titles. A funny title caught her eye and as she read the back, she knew immediately that it would be something Finn would appreciate. She picked up a few more books, including a thick baby name book before walking through the aisles and heading over to the children's section. She wanted to get Camden a special book. Her little boy wasn't a fan of change and she knew the next cluster of months were going to be really hard for him. She found a few books that she knew he would like and added them to the basket before heading for the check out. When she got to the cash register, the cashier gave her a knowing smile.

"Congratulations," she smiled gently at her.

"Thanks," she answered quietly. She paid for her books and took the bag and headed for the car. She heaved the books into the seat beside her before heading towards home. The music coming from the radio filled the silence and allowed her mind to relax. She sighed when she pulled into the driveway and hit the button for the garage to find that it was empty. Finn had promised they wouldn't be gone all day as it was a hot one. Obviously things had changed.  
She brought her bag into the house and Perry's hopeless whine from his crate filled her ears.

"Hold on Perry, just let me put these upstairs!" She called as she ran up the stairs and stuck the bag with her purchases under the bed before going back down to let him out. He immediately darted out to the back door, and Rachel opened it to let him out. She watched from the door as he did his business before letting him inside.

She grabbed a glass of water before heading back up the stairs to lay down. Perry followed her up, plopping down next to the vent as she grabbed her bag out from under her bed. She stared at the contents for a moment, choosing to pull out the book she had bought for herself, leaving the others in the bag for the right moment. She laid down and held the book in her hands, staring at the cover for a few minutes. It still hadn't sunk in that this was happening. She flipped through the pages, briefly looking at the titles of chapters, her eyes landing on different diagrams.  
_  
5 weeks - your baby is the size of a tadpole. _She sighed at the words, her hands finding her abdomen again.

The door downstairs opened with a bang, Perry's head immediately perking up when the dulcimer sounds of Camden floated upstairs.

"Mommmmmmmmmmmmmy, we hommmmmmmme..."

She slid off the bed and straightened her top before hiding her book in her drawer before heading towards the stairs. Camden went whirling past her up the stairs, stopping briefly to give her a hug before charging towards where Perry was waiting at the top of the stairs. The happy bark from the dog was met by an excited squeal from the little boy.

She walked through the house and found Finn in the kitchen, placing a box of pizza down on the counter.

"Hey babe! Sorry we're so late, but I brought pizza!" He grinned, hoping she wouldn't be upset that they were later than he had said they would be. "Cam was just having a blast so we decided to stay. I put more sunscreen on him, don't worry. We brought..."

"It's okay. I didn't get home too long ago myself," she whispered as she crossed her arms over her chest. He smiled and walked towards her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He pulled away from her and ran his hands up and down her arms.

"You okay?"

She nodded, chewing her lip. "Just tired."

He gave her an intrigued look.

"Why don't you go get changed and wrangle Camden so we can eat?" She asked softly.

He quirked an eyebrow before pressing another kiss to her forehead just as a loud bang came from upstairs. Finn sighed and headed for the stairs.

* * *

She knew she had to tell him. She needed his help processing this, she needed him to hug her and tell her about how excited he was. She needed him to just hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine. She hid in the kitchen while Finn and Camden watched Toy Story. She was waiting for the popcorn to pop, staring at the microwave and waiting for something to happen.

"Mommy, you coming?" Camden called from the couch. "Buzz go fly,"

"I'm coming baby. Just waiting for the popcorn," she called. _And hiding from your Dad, _she thought. The microwave beeped and she pulled the hot bag out, letting it cool for a moment before pouring the contents into the bowl. She sighed and rejoined her boys in the living room. She sat down on the couch and Camden immediately clamoured to sit on her lap. She passed the bowl to Finn as Cam moved around to get comfortable on her lap. He leaned his head on her chest, right over her heart as he focused in on the screen in front of him. She pressed a kiss to his hair, inhaling his blueberry shampoo. He turned his head to look up at her, his blue eyes droopy.

"Love you Mama," he whispered sleepily. She smiled at him gently and pressed another kiss to his head before he leaned back on her chest.

"I love you too baby."

Finn smiled at the two of them as he wrapped his arm around the back of the couch and gently rubbed the back of her neck.

Camden was out long just before Buzz and Woody would find out that Andy's Christmas gift was a puppy.

"Want me to take him upstairs?" Finn offered as he stood up with the empty popcorn bowl. Rachel's fingers brushed through Camden's hair as she stared down at his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. When she looked at him, sleeping much like he was now, he reminded her so much of what he was like as an infant, so calm and carefree. "Rach?"

"Sorry, what?"

He chuckled as he put the bowl down. "I asked if you wanted me to take him upstairs."

"Oh," she sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

He smiled at her before leaning over to scoop Camden into his arms. Her arms sagged as she watched Finn carry Camden out into the entry way and up the stairs.

She picked up the bowl he had discarded and brought it to the kitchen. She leaned her hands against the counter and took a deep breath, before moving to pour herself a glass of water.

She couldn't escape it now. Camden was asleep and she had to tell him. She heard the stairs creak and knew he was on his way back down.

"Hey," he sighed as he leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest. She turned around to see him standing there.  
She allowed a small smile to play on her lips as she looked him up and down. He was dressed in a pair of pajama pants that hung low on his hips, a white wife beater over his chest.

She tried to appear happy and enthusiastic, but her emotions were making her feel anything other than upbeat. "Don't you look comfy."

He grinned back at her, before moving away from the wall and walking towards her. His features faltered a bit when he reached her, placing his hands on her bare arms. He leaned his head down and tried to get him to look at her.

"Hey, what's wrong babe?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"You've been quiet all night. I'm sorry that we got home late babe, I meant to call but my phone died and Cam..."

"It's fine," she shook her head. "I just..."

"Shit, babe, you went to the doctor today," his hands moved from her arms to her cheeks. "Did she say..."

She touched one of his hands that rested on her cheek, rubbing her thumb along his hand. "Babe?"

His eyes stared down into hers, imploring her to finish her sentence. "Did she tell you anything? Did she say everything was..."

"I'm pregnant," she gasped as the words left her mouth. She closed her mouth immediately and diverted her eyes.

"Babe? You're...you're pregnant?" It took him a second, but a happy chuckle fell from his lips as he bent his head to place a fevered kiss to her lips. She responded as he pressed his lips to hers with insistence. "Pregnant..." He pulled away with a gasp. "You're pregnant. That's...that's good right? Pregnant..." His hands dropped to her stomach as he sank to his knees. He pulled up her shirt hastily so he could press his hands and lips to her bare skin. Her hands found his hair and linked them through the strands as his mouth trailed all over her stomach.

"Hi baby," he sighed in wonder. "I'm your Daddy and I am so...so excited to meet you. I love you so much already." Tears came to her eyes as she listened to him.  
It was everything she wanted to hear and more. But at the same time her heart sank. He slid up her body and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him tightly.

"God, I love you..." he sighed as he buried his face into her neck. His hands found her behind and pulled her into him even more.

"Wait..." He pulled away and held her at arm's length. "Are you okay? You haven't been sick and..." He tried to think about what he knew about the symptoms. He had been watching out for them after all.

"I'm fine. I've lost weight but other than that I'm good," she forced a smile.

"When..."

"When what?"

"When do I get to meet him? Or her?" He grinned.

"Oh. Um..." she cleared her throat. "Dr. Bartholomew suspects I'm about 5 weeks. But we won't know for sure until the first ultrasound and that won't be for a few more weeks..."she squealed as he scooped her up in his arms and rushed her up the stairs.

He stumbled a little as he carried her into the bedroom, slowing down as he approached their bed. He placed her gently on the mattress and it was only then that he saw her tears.

"Rachel? Babe?"

"I'm sorry," she sniffled as he laid down beside her, pulling her gently against him so she was laying over his body. His instinct to comfort her quickly overrode any plans he had to be intimate with his wife.

"Babe, what are you sorry for?" He wiped her tears as they continued to steadily fall down her cheeks.

"I..." she whimpered. "I'm freaking out Finn."

Finn's face fell as he looked up at her. He gently pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Talk to me babe..."

"I just want you to love us," she sobbed as fresh tears flowed to the surface. "I just want..."

"Babe, I do love you. I love you so much it almost hurts. Camden too. And this baby..." His hands ghosted down to touch the sides of her stomach. "This baby is going to be the best part of you and I." He took a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to pull her as close to him as possible as her shoulders shook. "It's going to be okay babe, this is good. The baby is a good thing."

"I know," she sniffled. "I just...I was expecting her to tell me to take more vitamins or something. Not that I was already pregnant..." His arms tightened around her waist.

"But this is what you want...right?" he asked hesitantly. Rachel's heart ached when she heard the words. He shouldn't have to ask her. He should know this was what she wanted. She did want this, a baby with Finn.

"More than anything," she whispered, looking down at him as her eyes glistened. "I just...I'm just going to need your help Finn. Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere Rachel. I promise." She sobbed in his arms, soaking the wife beater he was wearing. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, kissing her head a few times. "I'm not going anywhere. You are my life, you and Camden and now this baby are my life and nothing is going to change that for me. Nothing."

His words were like a balm to her frayed nerves. She rested her head over his heart, allowing the steady beat of his heart to help calm her. She moved her head so she was staring up at him.

"I love you," she whispered, hiccuping slowly.

"I love you too babe." He pressed a kiss to her forehead this time, before following with a kiss to her nose and then a light one on her mouth.  
She sighed as the kiss ended, resting her head on his chest once more.

"It's going to be okay. I promise," he sighed. "It's going to be great. So great."

He ran his hands through her long hair as he held her against his chest, hoping that his movements were helping her relax even somewhat. Her whimpers died down slowly as sleep finally began to take her. He could still feel her shuddering a little as a few gasps and whimpers left her mouth. His mind was reeling as he held her tightly. He heard it in her voice as she cried in his arms, she was scared. He felt like something was tormenting her, more than she was letting on. A baby was a great thing, it was something that he had thought they both wanted. They had been trying extremely hard for the last six months for this to happen; the thought of some of their escapades brought a blush even to his cheeks. And now that it was here, he could feel the panic seeping off of her.

He wanted this to be easy for her. He wanted her to be as excited as he was. The moment the words had left her mouth his heart had stopped and his blood had rushed straight to his ears. But as the words had sunk in the excitement bubbled up even further. He was going to be a dad! Of course he was already a dad to Camden, but this was a baby..a baby that he had helped create. A baby that was half of him and half of Rachel.

His heart stopped when he thought about Rachel. He wanted her to be proud of him. It was all he had ever wanted when they were younger and it's all that he wanted now. He was going to try his best to be everything she needed him to be, everything Camden would need him to be in the coming months. Was he scared? He wasn't sure he knew how to be scared right now. He was too excited at the possibility that he had created something so beautiful with the woman he loved so much.

She moved in her sleep, adjusting herself on him uncomfortably until he gently let her roll beside him. He spooned behind her, holding her gently as his hands splayed across her stomach. He couldn't wait until he could feel the changes in her belly. He couldn't wait for everything that was coming to them. He couldn't wait for what life had in store for them.

* * *

When Rachel rolled over the next morning, Finn's side of the bed was empty. She rolled over onto her back and sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath. She listened, and when she didn't hear any noise coming from downstairs she blew out a breath. The house, it seemed, was silent so she could only assume her boys were gone. The thought that they had left her sleeping while they went out both simultaneously made her eyes water with tears, and relief overcome her.

She rolled over onto her side, facing the window that faced the front of the house.

She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around herself,, trying to will herself to go back to sleep and not get upset over the fact that they left her behind.

It was Camden's voice that woke her up. She opened her eyes slowly to find his blue eyes staring at her from beside the bed, a strawberry smoothie clutched in his hands.

"Mommy!" He grinned when her eyes focused on his. "Mommy, we gotted you breakfast!"

She slowly pulled herself up so she was sitting against the pillows. Camden thrust the smoothie at her before her eyes fell to Finn standing at the end of the bed, a tray filled with other breakfast goodies in his hands. She took the smoothie from Camden before he dropped it and allowed him to scramble onto the bed. Finn walked over to the other side and handed her the tray.

"Morning babe," he whispered as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head. She gave him a weak smile before turning to the tray in front of her.  
"Mommy, Daddy and me getted breakfast." Camden smiled proudly as took a bite of the bagel half he had snatched from the tray.

"You went to get breakfast?" She questioned softly. Finn sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over at them. Rachel turned her gaze on him.

"Yeah. We were out of yogurt and the only fruit we had were apples...so we walked down to the breakfast place around the corner and grabbed all of this."

She gave him a tired smile. "That's sweet."

Finn nodded as he patted her leg.

"Daddy, I go watch shows?" Camden asked as Rachel began to spoon some yogurt into her mouth. "Go see Charlie,"

Both Finn and Rachel chuckled before they both nodded. Camden scrambled off the bed and virtually bolted for the door.

"Walk!" they both called after him. Camden had been known to attempt to run down the stairs, and although they were carpeted it was still easy for him to take a spill. Something he had done frequently when him and Rachel first moved in.

Rachel went back to her breakfast when Camden was safely down the stairs, while Finn moved to take his place on his side of the bed. A quietness enveloped them as they each picked at the food on the tray.

"I thought you guys had left for the day," she murmured as she swallowed some of her smoothie down.

Finn swallowed the bagel bite he had in his mouth before turning to look at her intently.

"What made you think that?"

"I rolled over and you were gone," she whispered. "And the house was quiet, so I thought..."

Finn shook his head. He turned to put his coffee down on the table beside him before moving the tray as well. He pulled her over to him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into kiss her head. "I thought after yesterday that..."

"Rach," he sighed. "Never. I'm here forever. I guess you're not feeling any better than last night?"

She shook her head as she leaned into his chest more. "I'm sorry."

"Babe, there's nothing to be sorry about. But I guess what I don't understand is why you're not excited about this? This is...this is what we wanted, right? I know I wanted this..." He reached over and placed his hand over her stomach. "I am so excited to have this baby with you...but I want you to be excited too."

"I'm trying Finn," she whispered as she looked up at him. "I just..." She had been holding back tears since Camden had skipped happily out of the room and now they were finally surfacing.

"Talk to me babe..." His heart lurched as he stared down at her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

She swallowed hard as she placed her hand over his that rested on her stomach. "I just...wasn't expecting to go in yesterday and have her tell me that I was already pregnant. And I just...I do want this, don't get me wrong. I want to have a baby. I just...I'm so scared."

He ran his fingers through her hair, encouraging her to go on. "What are you scared about?"

She bit her lip. "I just...I'm scared it's not going to be okay. The odds that this baby could have Down Syndrome are higher because..."

"Babe, babe," he touched her chin and forced her to look at him. "Even if it does, even if he or she needs extra help...we'll get it. We'll do whatever it is he or she needs. It's going to be fine. And you know why I know that?" She bit her lip and implored him to go on with his eyes. He sighed as he kissed her head.

"Because it's our baby. And it's going to be awesome, no matter what. It's going to be great and I cannot wait to see what happens." His hand moved back to rest on her stomach. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck.

"I'm trying to get excited. Don't get me wrong." she whispered. "I think I just need some time to get used to the idea."

He placed a gentle kiss on her neck. "Of course. I can't wait to tell Camden. He's going to be so..."

"Not yet." She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck again. "Please not yet."

He moved his head and looked up at her, his eyes widened a bit. "Why..."

"I just want to wait. Just let me wait please before we tell anyone. At least until we find out our due date. And cross 12 weeks."

He nodded again. "Babe, if it's what you want to do, then it's okay with me."

She gave him a soft smile, turning her face up to his to allow him to place a soft kiss on her lips. She wanted really wanted to believe him. If he said it would be okay, surely it would be.

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	4. August & September 2027

**Well hello! What is this, two updates in the same night? Consider it a Christmas miracle! I've been sitting on this update for awhile actually, I had wanted to be done writing Chapter 5 before I posted this one but since it's Christmas I thought why not :) I really have to thank firewifesara especially for these coming chapters as she really helped out with the realism of the pregnancy aspect. I've never been pregnant myself so I don't really know what's going on. I've taken some liberties, and any and all mistakes are mine as I don't pretend to be a medical expert :). I also want to thank you all for the reviews and such :) They really motivate me to continue and I appreciate them very very much :)**

**As always, I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone from glee. I do own Camden and the plot.**

**Once again, Merry Christmas and enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 4  
****_August &amp; September 2027 _**

Rachel rolled over as the sun shined through the blinds of their bedroom. No sooner had her eyes adjusted to the light that was coming in, her stomach rolled violently as she sat up. She wavered for a moment as she sat there, trying to get herself under control. When the feeling didn't subside she threw her hand over her mouth as she swung her feet over the side of the bed and ran for the bathroom.

She fell forward in front of the toilet, making it just in time before she couldn't hold back the feeling anymore. She retched into the toilet until she felt like she couldn't anymore. When she felt the sensation pass, she collapsed against the cold floor of the bathroom and leaned her head against the wall. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping this was the only bout she was going to get this morning. She had forgotten about this feeling. Not so much forgotten but had blocked it from her mind entirely because the first three months of her pregnancy with Camden had been filled with a semblance of the queasiness she was feeling right now. She closed her eyes and try to calm herself down enough to walk back into the bedroom.

She was just about to stand up as the wave of nausea rose again and she leaned forward to retch into the bowl again until she physically couldn't anymore. She reached up to flush the toilet as tears burned in her eyes and a soft knock came on the door. She weakly called for Finn to come in, knowing that it was him.

"Hey," he gave her a weak smile as he sat down and wrapped his arm around her. "You okay?"

She sighed as she leaned into his embrace, nuzzling her nose into his chest.

"The good news is, I don't think there's anything left in my stomach to throw up," she whispered. He pressed a kiss to her head as she leaned into him. "The bad news is..." She puffed out her cheeks as she broke away from his embrace, leaning over the toilet to dry heave directly into it. Finn was at her side in moments, rubbing her back and holding her hair back.

"So much for no morning sickness, huh?" he chuckled as she collapsed against the wall again. He stood up at the sink and handed her a cold cloth to wipe her mouth. Rachel sighed as she handed it back to him after she wiped her mouth.

"I guess not," she whimpered. He held his hands out to help her up and she took them, before collapsing into his chest. His arms wrapped around her in comfort, his hands splayed across her back as he rubbed his hands up and down.

"What can I do to help you?" he murmured against her hair. They walked back into the bedroom and he helped her into bed, getting in beside her. He pulled her against his chest as she curled into him.

"Hold me?" she whispered as she looked up at him.

"Of course," he smiled.

"Thank you," she whimpered as she let her eyes fall closed. She just hoped she could get back to sleep. 

* * *

Finn walked out of their bedroom after Rachel had fallen back to sleep, closing the door quietly behind him as he crept into the hallway.

"Daddy?" Finn stopped in his tracks and poked his head in Camden's bedroom.

"Yeah Pal?" he smiled as he looked in on him. "Want to come down for breakfast with me?"

"Mommy sick?" He looked up from the book he was flipping through on his bed.

"Yeah Pal, Mommy's a little sick. She's okay though." He ran his hand through his hair as he looked at Camden.

"Posed go shoppin'," he sighed. "Need backpack."

Finn blew out a breath just as he heard Rachel stumbling in the bedroom and the retching starting again.

"Hold on Pal," he sighed as he turned around to go see to Rachel. Camden sighed as he turned the page of his book before blowing out a breath.

"Mommy sick," he mumbled under his breath as he looked at the pictures once more. 

* * *

"This really sucks," Rachel whimpered as she watched Finn pull out some clothes from the dresser. It had been a few hours since she had woken up and the persistent nausea had yet to fade away.

Finn turned to give her a sympathetic look before pulling his grey t-shirt over his head.

"I want to go shopping with you guys," she pouted. "Did you see the look on Cam's face..."

"He gets it Rachel. He knows you don't feel good," he explained. "He'll be fine."

"I don't want him to just be fine with it Finn, he..."

"Then let's tell him, babe."

She shook her head."Not yet." Finn grunted. "Don't be mad. "

"I'm not mad babe. I just...I need you to relax, okay?" he sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed."Everything is fine. Camden is fine with me taking him shopping. I have to get stuff for the classroom that I forgot the other day anyway. He'll understand..."

"He shouldn't have to understand!" she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "He's my baby."

"Rachel," he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Breathe. You're going to get yourself all worked up and that won't help your stomach. He's my boy too. He's fine. I promise. Maybe we'll go out for ice cream when we're done. Use this time to get some rest babe. Try to relax."

"Easier said than done. Your baby has decided to already wreak havoc on my body," she chuckled.

"And we all love you for it," he smiled as he pressed another kiss to her head.

A knock sounded at the door that broke them apart. "Daddy, coming?"

"Come on in Cam," Finn called. The door squeaked open, but Camden stayed at the door. "Pal, you can come in the room..."

He shook his head. "Mommy sick."

Rachel smiled softly and held her arms out to him. "It's not contagious. Come here baby."

He looked at both her and Finn uneasily before walking slowly to the bed. Rachel slowly sat up as Finn moved aside so Camden could crawl on the bed.

"You're going to go do your shopping with Daddy. Make sure he buys you the right markers, okay?" Rachel gently ran her fingers through Camden's hair as he looked at her.

"Smelly markers," Camden whispered. "Batman backpack."

"I think we can do that," Finn smiled. "And Rach, I do know a thing or two about school supplies,"

She winked at him. "Still, Daddy's are forgetful sometimes." She smiled at Camden. "You have fun though."

"Need medicine Mama?" Camden asked seriously.

Rachel smiled hesitantly as Finn got off the bed. "Daddy bought me medicine earlier. I'll be okay baby. Thanks though."

He nodded before reaching over to hug her and then scrambling off the bed and grabbing Finn's hand. "Let go Daddy."

"Alright. Go put your crocs on." Camden nodded and ran out of the room as Finn leaned down to kiss Rachel once more.

"See, he'll be fine. As long as we can find a Batman backpack," Finn grinned. "Get some rest."

"I'll try," she sighed.

"Want me to bring anything back? I know you told Cam no medicine but..."

"Maybe some ginger ale? And gatorade?"

"What colour?" he asked as he stretched.

"The blue one," she asked softly, admiring him for a moment. "Thanks babe. Those helped when I was pregnant with Camden so..."

"Maybe they'll work now. Got it. We'll be back soon."

She nodded as he kissed her head before turning to leave the room.

"Hey Finn?" she called as he approached the door.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Yeah babe?"

"I love you. And thanks."

"I love you too." He smiled. "And you're welcome." 

* * *

Finn held the phone to his ear as he waited for the kettle to boil on the stove. He'd read in the What To Expect book Rachel had purchased that peppermint tea might help calm her stomach, and after the last three days he was ready to try anything to help her. The morning sickness had become all day sickness, not letting Rachel have much reprieve. When they had gotten home from back to school shopping he had found her in the bathroom worshiping the toilet once more. And it hadn't stopped since. He felt bad, because despite his best efforts nothing he had done for her had helped.

"Mom, mom, mom can you just stop for a minute?" He pulled the phone from his ear as his mom continued to talk about what she still had to do to be ready for the party, how Burt was picking up Kurt and Blaine from the airport. He needed to tell her they weren't going to make it to their annual Labour Day party. He'd taken one look at Rachel this morning when she had come back from the bathroom and made the decision himself. He knew she was feeling terrible when she could barely protest before she went running back to the bathroom and the toilet.

"Sorry Finny. When will you guys be getting in? I bought rainbow ice cream just for Camden..."

"Mom, we're not going to be able to make it." He heard her take a sharp intake of breath.

"What? Why?"

Finn sighed as the kettle started to whistle. He cradled the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he reached forward to turn the stove off. "Rachel's really sick."

"Oh that's not good, what's going on?" He moved the kettle from the burner and sighed. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be okay. She's just...it's just the flu but it's hit her really hard."

"The flu? It's August..."

"Well you know Mom, she still has a couple students so they..."

"She's not pregnant, is she? You know you guys really need to give us another grandchild. Cam's only going to be..."

Finn grunted. He wanted to tell his Mom that she was right, but he also knew how important it was to Rachel to get through to the end of the first trimester before they shared their news. "She's not pregnant Mom. It's just the flu. We just want to stay close to home today, I'm really sorry we're going to miss the party."

Carole sighed on the other end of the phone. "I am too Finn. Do you need anything? I can tell Burt to drop by on his way to the airport..."

"No. I think we're okay. I'm just making her some tea, and we have gingerale and Gatorade."

"What about Cam? Want us to take him? So he doesn't get sick for his first day of school?"

"It's fine. We're fine. We've got Rachel quarantined upstairs and Cam and I are going to maybe take Perry over to the dog park or something."

"If you're sure Finn. And you're sure it's just the flu?"

"We're sure Mom..." he said hesitantly as he heard Camden clomping up the stairs from where he had been playing in the playroom. "Thanks though. I have to go though, the tea's ready and Cam just surfaced so I'm sure he'd like to eat..." Camden appeared in the doorway of the kitchen and nodded when he heard the word eat.

"Okay. You take care of Rachel. Hopefully the flu passes soon."

"It will. I'm sure it will." He tried to sound confident, but after the last three days he wasn't quite sure the morning sickness would be as quick to pass as he hoped.

"Alright. Give everyone a kiss for me. Love you Finn," she sighed.

"Love you too Mom. Say hi to everyone for us."

He hung up the phone as he reached into the cabinet for a mug to pour the tea into.

"Daddy, Mommy sick?" Camden asked as he played with the hem of his pajama shirt.

Finn sighed as he turned around to look at him. "Yeah Pal, she is."

"We go Nana and Papa?"

"I think we're going to stay here Pal. Mommy's tummy is upset, and it wouldn't be nice if we left her here all by herself, now would it?"

Camden sighed. "No," he paused for a moment. "She be better Daddy?"

"Soon buddy. Soon," he asserted. Maybe if he said it out loud like that all the time it would come true. "Now, why don't you decide what you'd like for breakfast while I bring this up to Mommy?"

Camden nodded enthusiastically as he went for the cereal cupboard while Finn started for the stairs to bring Rachel her cup. 

* * *

She was just coming back to the bedroom when Finn entered with her cup of tea. She tried to give him a small smile as she walked over to the bed and climbed in.

"Here's your tea beautiful," he smiled as he walked closer to her. The closer he got, the more pale and tired she looked.

"Thanks," she whispered weakly as she took the cup from him. She inhaled the peppermint smell and closed her eyes for a moment. Finn sat down on the bed beside her for a minute.

"Did you get sick again?"

She only nodded slightly as she took a sip of the warm liquid.

"Oh babe," he sympathized as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head.

She shrugged slightly, not sure what she could say to that. "Did you call your Mom?"

He nodded, picking at a piece of fuzz on the bedspread. "She asked if you were pregnant."

She gasped, almost dropping the cup of hot tea on her lap. "What did you say?"

"I told her no, you're not pregnant and that it's just a bout of the flu. I don't think she bought it though, especially when I turned down her offer for Burt to come and get Camden when he picks up Kurt and Blaine at the airport."

"We're going to miss Kurt and Blaine?" Tears welled in her eyes as she looked down at her lap. They had just seen them in January, and talked to them on a regular basis. Finn knew her emotions were high, but this reaction to missing them at the party wasn't what he expected.

"Babe. It's not the end of the world, we'll see them at Thanksgiving." He pushed her hair back from her face. "When we tell them they'll understand."

"We should go..." She tried to hand him the cup. "Take this..."

Finn shook his head. "Rachel, we're not going anywhere. You're too sick."

"No, I feel much better. We should get going..." He took the mug from her and watched as she sat up and swung her legs over the bed. She paused for a moment before dashing for the bathroom and throwing up the few sips of tea she had taken.

_Yeah, _Finn thought. _We're not going anywhere today. _

* * *

Later that evening, Rachel relaxed in the bathtub as Finn knelt beside her, his fingers grazing the warm sudsy water. Her stomach had finally settled just enough for her to be able to climb out of bed and have a bath.

"This feels amazing," she whispered. "You sure you don't want to join me?"

He gave her a soft smile and moved his hand to graze her cheek. "I'm okay. You look pretty comfy."

"It would be more comfy with you," she sighed. He ran his fingers through her hair as she leaned back against the pillow he had blown up for her. He stood up and quickly stripped off his clothes. Rachel moved forward a little bit to allow Finn to climb in behind her. She sighed as she leaned back against his chest, his arms immediately snaked around her and coming to rest on her stomach.

"Thanks," she whispered softly as she sank even more into his embrace.

"Anything for you. I just want you to be comfortable," he smiled as he kissed the crown of her head. "You still feeling okay?"

She nodded as she closed her eyes."So far so good."

"I'm sorry it's been rough Rach," he murmured against her hair.

She nodded against his skin. "It's not your fault Finn."

He patted his hands on her belly gently before drawing gentle patterns on her skin.

"Was it like this when you were pregnant with Camden?" he asked quietly, his fingers circling her belly button as they sat together.

"The first few weeks were okay. I got sick a lot in the morning, but I was able to go to work," she sighed.

He nodded as his hand found hers and took it in his. He squeezed her fingers gently."It lasted a few weeks but cleared up by the time I got to month four. But it didn't feel too long because I was already 8 weeks when the symptoms first started. Or at least it didn't seem too long."

He nodded again and brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

She sighed. "I just hope it passes soon. I'm so tired of being so sick and it's only been a few days."

He sympathized with her as he squeezed her hands. "I know babe. If I could trade places with you, I would. You know that right?"

She looked up at him as his hand let go of hers and came up to gently stroke her cheek. "I know. That's sweet babe."

She leaned her head back against his chest and closed her eyes for a moment as he began to hum into her hair.

"I mean it," he whispered. "I can't imagine what you're going through, or how you're feeling and I already feel so in awe of you."

"It's worth it," she whispered as her eyes drifted open. "All the hard work will be so worth it."

He smiled into her neck before he pressed a kiss on her bare skin. "It's going to be great."

"I'm going to get so fat," she laughed, half joking half serious. "I was so big with Camden. And he was tiny!"

"You're going to be beautiful. You are beautiful," he chuckled before turning serious.

"We'll see. You've seen the pictures."

"I stand by my sentiment."

She sat up suddenly and blew out her cheeks a few times as a wave of nausea approached. Finn helped her up and out of the bathtub in time for her to heave into the toilet.

"Oh babe," he whispered as he walked over and grabbed her hair back.

"So much for relaxing," she whined as she flushed the toilet. Finn let go of her hair and grabbed a towel to wrap around her body. He hugged her to him as tears surfaced in her eyes, leaning into his chest as she allowed him to comfort her.

"I don't want to be sick anymore Finn..." she whispered.

"I know babe," he whispered into her hair as she trembled in his arms. He only hoped his words helped soothe her. "It'll be okay in the end. It will all be okay."

"I hope you're right," she whimpered.

He helped her to bed afterwards, helping her get into her most comfortable pajamas and cuddling with her on the bed much like he had the last few nights. He placed his hands on her stomach, careful not to apply too much pressure for fear that it would hurt her in some way. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. 

* * *

Rachel almost cried as Camden came into the living room dressed in the outfit she had laid out for him to wear on the first day of school. She'd parked herself on the couch so that she could see him off with Finn. It had taken all of her strength to drag herself out of bed and come downstairs. She'd had another rough night and rough morning with morning sickness, and she wanted to be part of this important day. She couldn't believe he was old enough to be going to school, let alone going into the second grade. As he stood in front of her dressed in his blue and red plaid shirt and dark jeans, she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride erupt inside her. He was getting so big, and growing up to be so handsome. Dressed like that he reminded her so much of Finn. They had bought the outfit when they had gone back to school shopping, Finn had told her Camden had insisted on getting the shirt when he saw Finn pick up a similar one. Finn was his hero, and had been from day one. It didn't surprise her that he wanted to be just like him, dress just like him. It still amazed her the kind of connection they had made in the last few years.

"Come here sweetie," she called as she opened her arms to him. Camden timidly walked towards her, stopping to stand in front of her as he stuck his fingers in his mouth."Don't you look handsome, Cam."

"Handsome?" He questioned as she straightened out his shirt.

"You look so handsome. Just like Daddy," she smiled.

"Daddy boughted it," he stated simply.

Rachel nodded. "Daddy did. Did Daddy get you breakfast too?"

Camden nodded. "Had cheerios."

"I bet they were yummy," she smiled. The thought of cheerios turned her stomach. She blew out a breath as the feeling rose at the thought, willing it to go back down.

"Daddy maked my lunch," he offered, rocking back on his heels as he looked at her intently. "Maded me soup."

"He made you soup? What a nice Daddy," she smiled.

Finn walked into the living room and leaned against the doorway. "Pal, why don't you go grab your shoes? We have to get going soon."

"Okay," he said softly. Rachel pulled him closer and pressed a kiss on his forehead before he walked out of the room. Finn ruffled his hair as he walked past him and he moved to crouch before Rachel.

"Promise me you'll take pictures when you get there?" She asked softly as she bit her lip.

"Promise," he sighed as he placed a hand on her knee. "I'll even text them to you before my class comes in."

"Thank you," she whispered quietly. She was going to ask him to, but he had offered it before she could.

"I knew you were thinking it," he laughed quietly. His face turned serious for a moment. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

She shrugged."I'm going to go back up to bed when you guys leave. That way I'm close to the bathroom."

He nodded."I'll call you at lunch time. If you need anything shoot me a text and I can bring it on my lunch or after..."

She nodded. "Thanks babe." He leaned up and gave her a soft kiss as Camden walked back into the living room, his Batman backpack on his shoulders. Finn stood up and smiled at him.

"You ready for school Pal?"

He nodded and walked up to Finn and grabbed his hand. "Go school."

"Give Mommy a kiss," Rachel smiled. "You have a good day, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded. "I see friends."

"You are going to see your friends. You're going to see all your friends and then Daddy will bring you home. I love you Cam."

"Love you Mommy," he whispered.

Finn leaned down and pressed a kiss o her lips when Camden moved away.

"You have a good day too," she whispered against his lips. "Go teach those grade twos a thing or too."

Finn chuckled as he pulled away and moved her hair from her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." She gave him a weak smile as she looked up at him. He placed another kiss on her lips before going to grab his bag and following Camden out to the car.

When they finally left, Rachel took a deep breath as she attempted to stand up from the couch. When she did, the room spun and her stomach immediately rolled. She groaned as she quickly moved to the kitchen and dry heaved into the sink. She had hoped today would be a good day. She was clearly wrong. 

* * *

She was nervous. As she got dressed for her appointment slowly she felt her nerves grow. Her stomach rolled as she pulled up the yoga pants that she had been living in. She was nervous because she wasn't sure how the appointment was go. She had been so sick these last few weeks she hadn't been able to go to work. Luckily her boss was understanding, and she was going to talk to her doctor about getting documentation.

She was also nervous, because she was scared the doctor was going to tell her something was wrong. The severity of her sickness scared her and made her on edge. She needed everything to be fine.

"Babe?" She heard Finn call her name from downstairs. She straightened her top before turning to leave the room.

"Coming!" She called back. She checked her appearance in the mirror once more before grabbing her sweater and head for the stairs.

Finn smiled the moment she walked into his sight. "You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

He held out his hand and she took it as he pulled her into a gentle hug. 

* * *

"My apologies, but this might be a little uncomfortable," Dr. Bartholomew warned from where she sat between Rachel's legs.

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand as she felt Dr. Bartholomew moving between her legs. Her grip tightened on his hand as she breathed through the uncomfortable feeling. Finn leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips as Dr. Bartholomew clicked around on the computer.

"You're doing great baby," he whispered against her lips. She bit her lip when he pulled away, turning her attention to the screen beside them.

"Well it looks like your baby is growing quite well," she smiled at the couple in front of her. She pressed a few more buttons, taking measurements. "It seems the dates we discussed a few weeks ago are correct, and you appear to be just about 10 weeks pregnant." She turned the screen so that Finn and Rachel could see what she had been looking at.  
She changed the angle slightly and pointed at the baby who was no more than a few centimeters big. Rachel felt tears rise in her eyes as she looked at the little person in front of her.

"That's our baby," Finn gasped as he squeezed her hand. "We...we made that babe."

Rachel's own emotions had her caught as she stared at the screen, her eyes focusing on the small image. Her hand that wasn't holding Finn's moved to her belly immediately. Despite the uncomfortable feeling, she couldn't quite get over the fact that she was seeing her child for the very first time at such a young stage.

Dr. Bartholomew smiled at the couple before turning up the volume on the machine. A quick thumping spread through the room and Rachel felt the tears slowly fall down her cheeks. Another gasp came from Finn's mouth as he brought her hand to his mouth.

"Is that?"

Dr. Bartholomew nodded. "That is your baby's heartbeat."

"Wow." Was all that Finn could say. "Our baby." He sighed in contentment before his voice caught in his throat. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her mouth softly, his love and appreciation bleeding through. She sighed when he pulled away, placing another quick kiss on his lips before pulling away.

"So you're 10 weeks, giving you an approximate due date of April 18th."

Finn chuckled. "My birthday's the 16th."

Dr. Bartholomew smiled just as she turned the machine off before handing Rachel a tissue. "Maybe you'll get a special birthday gift next year."

"Camden was right on time. Maybe you'll get lucky," Rachel smiled as she Dr. Bartholomew finished up the ultrasound and removed the wand. Finn helped her sit up slowly. She puffed out her cheeks for a moment as a wave of nausea hit her.

"You okay?"

She nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath as Finn grabbed her bottle of water that they had brought. She took a timid sip.

"She's been quite sick the last few weeks..." Finn started, looking to Dr. Bartholomew.

"Lots of morning sickness, Rachel?" Dr. Bartholomew asked.

"More like all day sickness," she mumbled. "I haven't been able to work much. I've barely left the house to be honest. It's been a rough few weeks. I wasn't this sick with Camden."

"Every pregnancy is different. I've never seen two that are exactly the same. It's not necessarily a sign that things are going wrong, especially since everything checks out perfect for your gestation." Dr. Bartholomew paused. "I can write you a prescription for something to help with the nausea and also write you a note for your employer to cover your absences."

Both Finn and Rachel nodded. She wrote out the prescription quickly and handed it to her. "Please call me if you have any questions. But do know that everything is looking good. Rest, take it easy. Let this guy pamper you."

"He already does," Rachel smiled as she squeezed his hand.

Dr. Bartholomew smiled. "That's great to hear."

They chatted for a few more minutes about how Rachel was feeling before Dr. Bartholomew asked an important question.

"Given your history, I have to ask if you would be interested in going further with genetic testing. With Camden having down syndrome, I'm sure you're well aware that there is..."

"...a chance that this one..." Rachel placed her hand on her belly. "Will have it as well. We've decided already that we don't want to know ahead of time."

"Our baby is our baby. No matter what," Finn smiled, placing his hand over hers. Dr. Bartholomew just smiled. Rachel faced Finn with a bright smile on her face. "He or she will be perfect, no matter what."

Once they were finished with their appointment, they made another one with the reception desk before leaving. Once they were in the elevator that would take them down to where they had left their car, Finn pulled Rachel into a hug, cradling her close to his body.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much."

She looked up at him as tears glistened in her eyes. "I love you too Finn. I love you too." He bent his head to place a kiss on her lips, sighing softly when she pulled away. Everything was fine. So why did she still feel so uneasy about all of this? 

* * *

_Thoughts? Merry Christmas!  
_


	5. October 2027

**Hola! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a very happy New Year. Can you believe it's 2015? I can't. Anyway, here we are with a new update. I really have to hand it to firewifesara for all of her help with this chapter and the ones that follow. I don't know what happened, but after the previous chapter was finished I hit some sort of bump and decided to completely retool my plan for this story. And because of that, I've been sitting on this chapter and obsessing over it for what should be considered way too long. And for all of that crap, I have to thank Sara cause she is so patient and knows me well enough to tell me it's not as crappy as I think it is :). But have no fear, I have a new improved plan that I think you'll all like! Thanks as well to the rest of my twitter gang, who are just awesome :)**

**As always, I don't own Finn or Rachel but I do own Camden and the plot. I also don't pretend to be a medical professional, so any and all mistakes regarding pregnancy or down syndrome are all my own. On with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_October 2027._

She crept slowly down the hallway, trying not to jinx the sudden burst of energy and feeling of general wellness that had overcome her. She smiled slightly when she heard Camden laughing downstairs, Finn's voice muffled by the loud sound. She grabbed a few towels from the linen closet and was just making her way back to the bedroom to take a shower when Finn came jogging up the stairs.

"You're up," he smiled, stopping in his tracks.

She turned to face him, holding the towels to her chest. "I am. I'm just going to take a shower, and then I was thinking maybe we could go grocery shopping?"

Finn eyed her for a moment. He had been planning to go today, taking Camden with him to give Rachel some time to rest. The morning sickness, until now it seemed, had kept a firm grasp on her day and night.

"Don't look so worried," she whispered, reaching out to touch his arm gently. "I don't know what it is, but I feel great. Tired, yes but my stomach isn't rolling and I just need to get out of the house for a bit..."

"And you think grocery shopping would be a good idea? Babe, you were just throwing up enough to rival the Exorcist last night..."

She couldn't help but chuckle as she moved closer to him, leaning on his arms to press a kiss to his lips gently.

"It's pregnancy, Finn. I can't really explain it. It's really unpredictable," she laughed. "Would you rather me keep puking?"

He chuckled as he pulled her closer to him. "Of course not. I just...Rach, you were really sick. I don't want you to overdo it."

"You're sweet," she smiled gently, patting his cheek. "It'll be okay. Can you guys be ready to go in like an hour or so?"

He nodded before pressing another kiss to her cheek. "We can. What can I make you to eat for breakfast?"

She bit her lip as she pulled away from Finn, looking up at him. "Maybe just some dry toast? Don't want to tempt fate..."

He nodded hesitantly before giving her another once over. "If you're sure."

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "But I have to grab this chance of feeling good when I can. Now I'm going to take a shower and we can go. Okay?"

"Okay," he murmured. "Enjoy your shower..." He turned to head into Camden's room.

"Finn?" She called as she turned to walk back to their room.

"Yeah babe?"

She gave him a cheeky smile. "There is room in the shower for two," she winked.

The groan that left his lips was satisfying enough as she finished the walk into their bedroom. She chuckled to herself as she grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater before heading into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

* * *

She relished the feeling of the warm water on her skin, closing her eyes as she let the water relax her underused muscles. She tried to savour every second, it had been a few weeks since she had been able to stand here and really enjoy taking a shower without any interruptions. She washed quickly as the water began to cool before stepping out and wrapping herself in the warm fluffy towel she had brought with her. The room was bathed in the thick steam her shower had created, and she hummed a tune under her breath as she reached for a hand towel to wipe the mirror. Rachel quickly dressed herself in her undergarments, sighing when she noticed she had to clasp her bra a little looser. She reached for her jeans and pulled them up. It had been days since she'd dressed in something other than sweatpants or pajama pants and as much as she hated wearing jeans, it felt good to dress up even the slightest. She scoffed to herself at the thought that jeans were equal to dressing up nowadays.

But when she tried to fasten the button, the two sides refused to meet. She huffed as she tried again, pulling on the edges to try and get them to connect. She sighed, taking a deep breath before trying again.

"This can't be happening right now," she mumbled. She turned to face the mirror and really studied her appearance, running her hands over her stomach for a moment. She gasped a little when she felt the distinct, firmer differences in her stomach. It wasn't a big change, but it was there and she could feel it. She dropped her hands, placing them on her hips as she faced the reflective surface. She narrowed her eyes as she searched for the differences she could feel under her hands, her eyes falling on the barely noticeable but there nonetheless bump.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she continued to stare in the mirror, trying to sort through the onslaught of emotions that were hitting her like a tidal wave.  
"This is really happening," she murmured as she ran her fingers over her skin. _Right, cause the horrific morning sickness hasn't been enough for you to realize this was really happening Rachel. _

She didn't show with Camden until she was over 20 weeks, and she had blown up from there. But this, this shocked her. She was barely crossing the 12 week mark and she could already feel the distinct differences in her abdomen. She felt the tears swelling in her eyes, her throat thickening as she just continued to stare at her reflection. She felt her shoulders shake as realization hit her. She was pregnant. She was showing. There was no denying that this was happening anymore.

She left the bathroom in a huff, marching into the bedroom and heading straight for the closet, grabbing anything and everything she could find.  
She tried to pull on another pair of jeans that were older than the ones she had tried in the bathroom. When they didn't even get passed her hips, she sat down on the bed and yanked them off before throwing them unceremoniously across the room. She worked through the pile she had grabbed, going through each pair of pants systematically. Nothing fit. And what did fit, were extremely uncomfortable and hurt to sit down in.  
She pulled the last pair off and stared venomously down at the pair of yoga pants that were hanging out of her laundry basket. She'd been wearing them all week when she wasn't wearing pajamas and she just wanted to feel normal while she still could. She leaned her elbows on her bare thighs as her fingers threaded through her hair. She felt the tears spilling from her eyes just as a soft knock sounded on the door.

"Babe, you almost ready to..." he paused when he saw her on the end of the bed, her head in her hands. His eyes next fell to the clothes that were strewn across the floor. "Whoa...what happened here?"

She didn't raise her face from her hands, as she mumbled her response. "I'm fat."  
When he didn't respond, she looked up from her legs. "I said, I'M FAT."

"Babe," a sigh passed his lips as he closed the gap between the two of them. "You're not fat."

"Yes. I. Am," she stammered. "Nothing fits Finn. Nothing."

He blew out another breath as she stared at him. His eyes darted quickly around the room before picking up a pair of pants that she had sentenced to the floor. He held them out to her. "What about these? You wore them last week when..."

She shook her head as he dropped them. "They don't fit. Nothing fits!" She stammered as she stood up, standing in front of him. "I'm huge already and I'm only three months pregnant!"

She watched Finn's jaw drop as she stood in front of him in her bra and underwear. Her hands fell to her abdomen, drawing his attention to her stomach. "Look!"

"Babe..." She grabbed for his hand and placed it on her stomach, guiding his hand over the tiny bump that rested there. The gasp that left his mouth did nothing for her state.

"See!"

"You're beautiful," he whispered. His thumb ran over her abdomen, skirting over the tattoo on her hip before looking up at her. "You're not fat, you're gorgeous. You're beautiful," he repeated over and over as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her slight bump. It wasn't noticeable at first sight, but the closer he looked the more he could see the slight bump in her abdomen. It wasn't very noticeable, but for someone like Finn who was so familiar with her body it was easy to identify the differences in her otherwise flat stomach. To him, it was amazing. An exciting change. He couldn't believe how lucky he was, in that moment.

"I'm only 3 months Finn. Just 3 months," she grunted as she stepped back from him. "I don't want to wear maternity clothes yet!"

"So don't..."

"Finn. Nothing FITS!" She cried in frustration. "The only thing in this room that fits are those stupid yoga pants and I just wanted to feel like a HUMAN BEING for once. I've been wearing those same pants for a WEEK. I just wanted to go out and be normal. Is that so much to ask Finn?" Her voice cracked as tears spilled from her eyes. "Is that too much to ask?"

"It's not babe. It's not," he sighed. He bent over and picked up a pair of jeans off the floor. "Show me?"

"Finn," she whined. "They don't fit."

"Just humor me."

She rolled her eyes as she took the pair of jeans from him and pushed her legs through, before standing up and pulling them up to her hips. She grunted when she tried to do up the button, sighing when she looked up at him.

"See?" Her lip trembled for effect. "They don't fit Finn..."

"Okay. Okay, it's alright." He patted her hip. "We'll figure this out. We can go shopping..."

"I don't want to go shopping, for clothes anyway," she sighed as she pushed her fingers through her hair. "I just...I just want to go out with you and Cam and come home and relax with you guys..."

Finn sighed as he looked down at her. He was trying to understand, he was. "But babe, if your clothes don't fit we need to get you ones that do..."

"And I will...I just don't want to right now. I'm just...I'm overwhelmed with all this...and I just want a hug," she cried as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her head against his chest. He chuckled slightly, his chest rumbling against her cheek. She sniffled as she held onto his shirt as he kissed her head.

"I love you. So much," he whispered against her hair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He chuckled again. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"You must think I'm crazy." He rubbed his arms up and down her bare back.

"I already knew what I was getting into with your crazy when I married you..." She smacked against his chest. "But seriously, it's okay. I was reading that book you got me and it said that this could happen. This would happen." She smiled softly at him, her eyes glistening again as she looked up at him. "What?"

"You're reading the book," she whispered, her voice giving way to the raw emotion she felt.

"Of course I am," he smiled. "I want to be able to help you...when you need it..."

"You do help me," she whispered, running her hands up and down his chest. "You help me so much. You always help me."

"It's my job," he smiled, his own hand moving to rest on the tiny swell of her stomach. "And this...this is amazing," he breathed. "So amazing."

"You don't think I look fat?"

"No baby. No. You're pregnant, with our baby. Which makes you even more beautiful than ever." She smiled as she cuddled into him again, resting her head on his chest. "Now how about we find you some pants?"

"I've tried everything on Finn," she whimpered as she watched him move over to her bedside table and grabbed a hair tie.

"I have an idea..."

"Finn," Rachel whined. He pressed a finger to her lips before looping the elastic through the button hole before going around the button.

"It doesn't look pretty but at least they'll stay up," he shrugged. "And if you wear one of your bigger sweaters you won't even be able to..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck instantly, pressing a kiss into his cheek. She chuckled into his ear. "I love you," she whispered as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I love you too babe," he smiled before kissing her once more.

* * *

It was like the day before had never happened. She groaned as she made her way to the bedroom, smacking her lips against the taste of the toothpaste she had used. She pulled back the covers and crawled in next to Finn, hoping to snuggle in next to him for a little bit longer.

"Babe, that you?" he grumbled in his sleep. She didn't say anything, instead curling up to him so he could wrap his arms around her. "Did you get sick?"

"I don't want to be sick anymore Finn," she whimpered as he pulled her against him.

"I know babe," he said softly as he pressed a sleepy kiss to her head. "I know."

That evening, Finn had to stay back after school for an emergency parent-teacher conference so Rachel was left to pick up Camden. She stood in the playground with her sweater wrapped around her middle, willing the nauseous feeling to go away as she waited for Camden to be released. Finn had told her he had passed on to Camden's teacher and his aide that she would be picking him up. She had hoped he would come out to see her, but he had told her he had to meet with the principal first. She really wanted a hug from him right about now.

"Mommy?" Her head shot up when she saw Camden walking towards her, a perplexed yet excited look on his face. She tried to paste a smile on her face as Camden wrapped his arms around her leg as she waved to his teacher.

"Hey baby," she smiled as they began the walk back to the car. "Did you have a good day?"

"No wait Daddy?" He asked as they got to their car. Her stomach rolled as she unlocked the door, trying to get him in quickly.

"No. We're going to head home. Daddy will meet us later," she whispered as she helped him clip his seatbelt before getting in herself. She started the drive back to their house, hoping she'd make it until Finn got home.

"Okay," he said softly."Mommy, I has snack?"

"You want a snack when you get home?" She asked as she turned the corner onto their street.

"Can has grapes?"

She smiled, thanking God that he didn't want something that would aggravate her stomach. "Sure baby."

Unfortunately, once they had made it into the house Camden changed his mind and decided his snack would be apple sauce, and the moment the smell hit her nose she took off for the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet heaving the only few things she had been able to eat all day and cinched her eyes closed.

"Mommy?" She heard outside the door and she took a deep breath. She reached over for the door from where she was sitting on the floor and pulled it open to find Camden standing there. "Mommy sick?"

She groaned as she laid her head back against the wall as he stood in front of her. "Mommy?"

"Yes, Mommy's sick baby." Her eyes softened when he walked into the small bathroom and sat down on the floor beside her. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her arm.

"Mommy better?"

Her eyes watered as she looked down at him and moved her arm so she could pull him into her. She placed a kiss on his head.

"So much better," she smiled. He grinned as he looked up at her before squirming to get out of her embrace and stand up.

''I go watch shows now," he announced before turning to leave the bathroom. She watched him leave before heaving herself onto her feet and washing her mouth out before going out to the living room to watch whatever Camden had chosen.

When Finn arrived home an hour later, Rachel was barely keeping her eyes open on the couch as Camden played quietly in front of her with his iPad.

"Rach? Cam?" He called as he walked into the living room. "Oh, hey guys..."

"Daddy, shhh..." Camden looked up from his iPad and put his finger to his lips. "Mommy sick."

Finn's heart sank as he walked over to the couch and knelt beside it. Rachel looked up at him with watery eyes, while trying to smile at him.

"Hi babe," he whispered as he leaned over to press a kiss to her head. "You okay?"

She shrugged as much as she could.

"Mommy throw up," Camden sighed looking up from the iPad once again. "It yucky Dad."

"Thanks Pal," he eyed Rachel and he pressed his hand to her forehead. "Can I get you anything?"

"A hug," she whispered.

He smiled gently as she outstretched her arms to hug him. It wasn't the most comfortable hug in the world, but he knew she needed it. Rachel sighed in contentment as she leaned into Finn's chest, the familiar smell of his soap and mild cologne instantly comforting her despite the constant rolling in her stomach.

* * *

They walked out of Dr. Bartholomew's office hand in hand a few days later. Finn squeezed her hand as they walked down to their car, as no words were said between them. The appointment had gone well, Dr. Bartholomew had tried to calm her fears about the amount she had been sick, again repeating that every pregnancy was different. She hadn't been alarmed when Rachel had shown that she was showing already, reassuring her that many Mom's show much sooner the second time around. They were both relieved when Dr. Bartholomew had insisted that everything was fine and looking right on target for being 12, almost 13 weeks pregnant. She sighed with relief at the news and had squeezed Finn's hand tightly. The joy she watched spread across his face had failed to leave and she felt her cheeks warm as he pressed a kiss to her lips that told her everything she needed to know. He was happy and she should be too. And she was. It was just taking her a little longer to get there.

"I love you," he whispered as they finally reached their car. He pressed another kiss to her lips as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her towards him. He pulled away before going in and pressing a few quicker kisses to her lips.

"I love you too," she whispered. She raised her hands to his cheeks. "I really love you."

He drove her home and walked into the house with her. They had been scheduling her appointments on his lunch hour, so that he didn't have to miss any of them. She appreciated that very much, as even early in her pregnancy with Camden Nathan hadn't been able to attend every appointment due to work commitments. Finn had made a point of it which further helped her fears subside, even just a little.

"You going to be okay this afternoon?" He whispered as he walked her into the living room.

She nodded. Her sickness hadn't been that bad this morning. "I should be okay. I'll start some dinner before you guys get home?"

"It's up to you babe. I can take care of it when we get home..."

She smiled at him softly. "Thanks babe. I can throw a Shepherd's pie in the oven though."

"Maybe we can tell Camden tonight? About..." he ran his hands down her sides and rubbed his thumb along her stomach.

"Finn..." Her voice was tired, she didn't want to start this conversation again.

He went on to state his case anyway. "Babe, he already knows something is up. Did you hear him last night? Mommy sick," he imitated. "Dr. Bartholomew said herself that things were right on target and healthy and stuff. There's nothing to be scared of..." He offered, staring at her intently. He rubbed his thumbs over her tiny bump once more.

She stared at him, and just in his eyes and smile she saw how excited he was. She could feel it in his touch, in his embrace. It was contagious. She raised her own hands to cup his cheeks and brushed her thumbs under his eyes. "Okay," she nodded. "We can tell him. We can tell him after dinner. I'll make chicken fingers and mashed potatoes instead so he has his favourites." Finn hurriedly pressed his lips to hers, pouring everything he felt into the kiss. She couldn't help but let him sweep her away. They would tell Camden and everything would be okay.

* * *

They told him that night after dinner and dessert. Camden was in a particularly good mood and had had a glowing report from his teacher and the aide in his class about his day. Rachel was feeling a little more than hesitant the closer they got to telling him because she wasn't sure how he was going to react. A baby meant sharing attention, and he had had all of their attention, specifically Rachel's from the moment he was born.

They sat on the couch, talking about their days as was their usual routine. It was a way for Camden to practice his vocabulary and simple tasks like turn taking and listening. It also gave Rachel and Finn a chance to give him their complete and undivided attention. Something, that in the near future was going to change for all of them.

"Played blocks," he said with a grin as he curled up into Rachel's side.

"You played with blocks?" She asked, looking over his head at Finn while she played with his hair. "Who did you play blocks with?"

"Allie," he laughed. "Allie maded tower."

"Ah," Rachel laughed. "I'm glad you had fun with Allie today. Do you want to tell us anything else about your day?"

When Camden shook his head and turned his gaze to his fingers, Rachel smiled softly at Finn over Camden's head. "Well then, Mommy and Daddy have something they want to talk to you about."

"Talk. Mommy Daddy talk," he repeated.

"We're going to talk," she smiled. "Mommy and Daddy want to tell you about something that's going to change in our family very soon. You know Mommy and Daddy love you a lot right?"

"Lots," he nodded. "Love lots and lots."

"We do love you a lot," Finn responded. "You're our first baby. But in a few months, Mommy is going to have another baby," he paused.

"Baby? Me Mommy baby."

Rachel spoke up, her eyes on Finn before turning them to Camden. "You're right. You're Camden. Our first baby. Mommy's other baby is in here..." She took his hand and placed it gently where her bump was most prominent though the significance was lost on Camden.

"Baby out?" He questioned as he looked directly at Rachel.

"No. The baby still has to grow bigger and stronger before it can come out. It will be here around Daddy's birthday," she explained. Camden kept his hand on her belly for a few seconds, but continued to look up at Rachel with a confused look on his features. He pulled his hand away to stick his fingers in his mouth, curling himself into Rachel once more.

Rachel sighed as she pressed a kiss to Camden's head. She could tell the meaning was lost, and she wondered if they should have waited until she had gotten bigger so that Camden could make the connection. She gestured to Finn with her free hand to get him to hand her the book she had bought especially for Camden. "Mommy has a story she wants to read to you Camden."

"I liked stories," he grinned as Finn passed her the book.

"I know you do Cam," she whispered as Finn cuddled up next to them and kissed Camden's head as Rachel opened the book and began to read the short story about a little boy named Alex who got a baby sister.  
Camden yawned when the story was finished. Rachel placed it beside her on the couch while she pulled Camden into her lap.

"Pretty soon Mommy's not going to be able to hold you like this anymore," she murmured into his hair as she rubbed his back. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Why Mommy?"

Rachel looked over his head at Finn and bit her lip as her eyes watered.

"Mommy's tummy is going to get a lot bigger so the baby can grow. And you're such a big boy that there might not be enough space for both of you," Finn whispered as he bent and kissed Camden's head.

"Me Mommy," he sighed as he cuddled in closer to her and buried his head in her chest. She winced a little but he clung harder.

"Mommy will always love you Camden," she whispered into his hair as she adjusted him on her lap. "You'll always be my first baby." When he nodded into her chest Rachel raised her head to look at Finn.

"It's going to be fine," he mouthed before leaning over to press a kiss to her lips.

* * *

Finn took Camden up to bed after he fell asleep on Rachel's lap. When he came back downstairs, he found her sitting up on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Rach?" He asked as he came to sit down beside her on the couch. She took a moment, but she looked over to him when she pulled her hands away from her face. It was then that he saw her watery eyes and he instantly pulled her against him. "What's wrong babe?" He questioned as he wrapped his arms around her. Telling Camden about his new brother or sister had gone as well as he could have hoped, but it was evident that Rachel didn't feel the same way.

"Nothing," she whimpered as she leaned her head into his shoulder. He placed a kiss on her head as his hand rubbed up and down her back.

"It's obviously something," he whispered. "Babe?"

"I'm worried about Camden," she sighed as she pushed her hair back.

"Camden's fine, babe. He's..."

Her lip trembled as the words spilled from her lips. "He's not good with change Finn. You heard him. He didn't get it, he didn't understand what was going on..."

"We have time to get him used to the idea babe, we..." he stuttered over his words, trying to figure out what she was trying to say.

She sighed as her tears started to spill from her eyes. "That's not the point Finn!" She cried as she sat up straighter and wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

He continued to run his hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her. "Then help me understand Rachel," he murmured as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm not really understanding what you're trying to say to me here,"

"We're changing everything he knows, Finn, everything," she cried. "It's not just our lives that are about to change, it's his too. And I don't think he's ready for it..."

"No one is ever completely ready for a new baby Rachel. But we have almost six months to GET ready. We can get him more books and take him to the doctor with us if you want and..."

She leaned her face down into her hands as the tears spilled forward out of her eyes, blurring her vision as she cried. Finn rubbed her back slowly as she cried, trying to think of what to say.

"It's going to be okay. He's going to be a fantastic big brother. Sure, it's going to take some getting used to. You're the only one in the house who has any prior newborn experience," he chuckled but the joke fell to deaf ears. "But we'll get through it. Just like we get through everything else in this family. Together." He turned her face to look up at him. "I love you. It's going to be fine. Please stop worrying so much."

She bit her lip as she looked at him, before moving forward to press a kiss to his cheek. Easier said than done.

* * *

_Thoughts? _


	6. October and November 2027

**No, your eyes do not deceive you. It is me, here, posting. I know, I know...shocking, right? I just couldn't resist because this chapter literally sucked the life out of me. This chapter was basically the reason I almost threw in the towel with this story and replanned it. But alas, here we are! New chapter! I have to thank Sara a ton for this because she basically saved this chapter many times from being sent to the recycle bin. Also thanks to Mel and Allie for their constant enthusiasm! **

**As always, I own the plot any OC's and Camden, not Finn, Rachel or anyone from glee. Unfortunately they belong to RIB. Any and all medical mistakes are mine and mine alone. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_October &amp; November 2027_

The moment they pulled into Carole and Burt's driveway, Rachel felt all of her confidence start to fade. They were meeting both sets of their parents for lunch, since Rachel was feeling more like herself and the morning sickness had retreated to being almost a thing of the past. Once they had told Camden, Finn had been insistent on finally letting their parents and family in on their little secret. She placed her hand on her slight bump as she looked down, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

Finn's voice broke her from her thoughts. "It's going to be fine. They're going to be thrilled, once they get it that is," he smiled as he took her hand in his. Rachel squeezed his hand gently.

She took a deep breath. "I know, it's fine. I know." She turned around in her seat and looked back at Camden who was happily flipping through the pages of one of his favorite books. "Ready to go see Nana and Papa Cam?"

"Nana and Papa?" his eyes widened as he looked up from his book, a smile almost immediately lit up his face.

"Yeah! Nana and Papa!" Finn grinned. "And Grandpa and Granddad should be here soon too! We're all going to have lunch!"

"Grandpa and Granddad?" He questioned before grinning. "Lunch?"

Finn chuckled as he undid his seat belt before turning around to back at Camden. "Of course, Nana's making lunch for us right now! Let's go see what she made!"

Rachel gnawed at her lip for a moment as Finn got out of the car and helped a giggling Camden out.

"Come Mama!" he exclaimed as he charged for the stairs that led up to the front door, Finn following closely behind him. Rachel took a deep breath before getting out of the car herself and following them into the house.

* * *

Carole wrapped her in a hug the moment she walked into the house. Her heart thumped in her chest as she did so, a smile gracing her face. Rachel couldn't help but smile as well.

"I'm so glad you guys made it," Carole smiled as she released her from her arms. "We've missed you guys!"

"We've missed you too," Rachel smiled.

"Are you feeling better?" Carole eyed her suspiciously for a moment as she shrugged off her coat. Rachel turned around from hanging it on the coat hook and smiled at her mother -in-law gently.

"I am, finally. That flu was brutal," she commented, her eyes falling to the floor as she clasped her hands in front of her tightly.

They retreated into the living room where Finn and Camden had escaped the moment their coats were off. Rachel chuckled when she found Camden perched on the couch beside Burt, the hat Burt must have been wearing now sitting on his head instead.

"Mommy! Papa hat," he grinned, bringing his hand up to touch the brim of the hat.

"Are you wearing Papa's hat?" Rachel smiled as she walked over to the loveseat and sat down beside Finn. He immediately moved his arm around her, coming to rest on her hip as she curled into him. Camden nodded enthusiastically as the doorbell rang again and he scooted off the couch immediately.

"I get!" he called as he followed Carole to the door. Rachel relaxed into Finn's side for a moment, just before Camden came back with Hiram and Leroy in tow.

"Grandpa and Granddad here!" he giggled as he clambered onto the loveseat to sit on Finn's lap. Finn groaned when Camden plopped down in his lap a little too hard.

Hiram and Leroy came into the living room behind him, greeting everyone with hugs.

"You're looking well princess," Hiram commented as he released Rachel from the hug. She gave him a smile and small shrug.

"Thank you. It feels good to get back to somewhat normal," she smiled. Hiram nodded before heading to sit down on the couch across the way to sit beside Burt. Once everyone was settled, Camden and Finn set themselves up on the floor with a puzzle that Rachel had brought in her bag. She always brought a few toys with them when they came down to Lima to visit, even though Carole and Burt had a bunch of toys for him to play with it never failed that Camden would get bored with what was there.

"So what is Camden going to be for Halloween?" Hiram asked as he sipped the coffee Carole had given him.

"I be Buzz Grandpa," he grinned as he looked up from the puzzle he was doing with Finn.

"You're going to be Buzz?" Hiram asked. "That sounds exciting,"

"Daddy helpeded me," he grinned. After a few minutes, he stood up from where he was on the floor. "Mommy, take off?" He pulled at the bottom of the hoodie he was wearing. "Help me?"

"Of course, come here..." she smiled as she gestured for him to come closer. Her heart thundered as she tugged at the bottom of the hoodie and pulled it over his head. He giggled when she pulled the blue hoodie over his head.

"Thanks Mommy," he grinned before walking closer to where his grandparents were sitting on the couch and easy chair. "See my shirt? Daddy boughted it," he laughed. "It has guitar..."

Finn had moved off the floor and sat beside Rachel as they waited for what else the shirt said to sink in for their parents. It had been Finn's idea to buy the shirt announcing her pregnancy. They had been out shopping for Camden's Halloween costume when they'd come across the shirt at Target. When they decided on telling the parents during this trip, Finn had suggested slipping the new shirt on under Camden's sweater. Rachel knew he was eager to spill the news, so she had quickly agreed. Camden had been excited to wear his new guitar shirt, and they both knew it would only be a matter of time for him to show it off. They had decided to just go with the flow, letting Camden take the initiative to share the news. This way, it gave him a sense of involvement as well. Even if he couldn't see beyond the fact that there was a guitar on his new shirt.

His mother was the first one to look at them, tears forming in her eyes as her jaw dropped.

"Rachel? Finn?" she asked as she stood up. "What's going on?"

"It wasn't the flu," Rachel said quietly, folding her hands in her lap. "I'm...we're pregnant," a small smile crept over her features as she made eye contact with Finn.

The squeals that ensued from Carole, Hiram and Leroy's mouths were almost too much. They both stood up from the couch to accept the hugs and congratulations from all of their parents. Rachel smiled through it all, allowing each family member to embrace her in turn. The excited chatter of their entire family continued to swell as questions flowed from everyone's mouths. It was hard to hear let alone answer. Rachel took her seat on the couch again as it continued. She just smiled as she watched everyone embrace Finn, her father's shaking his hand firmly with grins to match.

"So when are you due? This is so exciting!" was Carole's first question once everything settled down. Rachel curled into Finn's side as Camden went back to playing with his puzzle on the floor.

"April 18th," she answered before looking up at Finn. "Right after Finn's birthday,"

"So that makes you about..."

"15 weeks yesterday," she smiled.

"And everything is good? Everything is okay?" Leroy asked as he took a sip of his coffee. "When we talked to you earlier in the week you sounded so run down sweetheart."

Rachel shrugged, turning to look at Finn. "It's been pretty brutal. The morning sickness has kind of become all day sickness. I have good days and bad, but now the good days are starting to outweigh the bad. I'm just hopeful that it stays this way. Dr. Bartholomew says everything checks out fine and our baby is growing perfectly..."

"Mommy has baby," Camden commented from the floor. "I Mommy's baby too."

All of the grandparents looked down at Camden with smiles on their faces.

"Camden is still trying to wrap his head around it," she chuckled quietly.

"He will in time," Carole smiled. "Oh this is so exciting! A new grandbaby!"

Rachel smiled as she looked at Finn, his eyes meeting hers. "Yeah, it is really exciting." Finn leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips quickly as their family looked on amidst their excited chatter. If only she could quell the fears that were constantly invading her thoughts. Maybe then she could finally relax and be as excited about this new baby as she wanted to be.  
_  
_

* * *

_November 2027  
_  
"So I'm going to go put dinner in the oven, do you think you can get Camden going before the Murray's get here?" Rachel called into the living room as she walked into the kitchen. She heard Finn click off the tv that had been blaring a few minutes ago. "He needs to put on what's on his bed Finn!" she called as she watched him walk towards the stairs.

"I got it, I got it," he called back. Rachel chuckled at the way he responded. Helping Camden get dressed was a feat in itself. While he could do it himself, he still often got tripped up with buttons when there were more than two or three and sometimes had a hard time with putting things on right side out and forwards.

She slid the vegetable lasagna into the pre-warmed oven and stood up once it was set. Everything but the lasagna was finished, now she just had to wait for their friends to arrive and Finn to get Camden ready. She smiled as she heard giggling coming from upstairs, followed by a thump that told her Camden had just jumped off his bed, his newest trick.

"Be careful!" she called up the stairs as she walked back into the living room to sit herself on the couch.

She was finally feeling slightly better. And she used the word better loosely. While the vomiting had finally seemed to fade into the past, her energy level hadn't quite returned. She didn't remember being this exhausted with Camden and she wasn't even that far along. She had returned to work barely, lessening her workload by almost half just because she felt like she couldn't bear it. She was constantly in bed before Finn, and on rare occasions before Camden. Everything exhausted her, and she had no idea how she was going to get through the next almost five months.

The doorbell ringing brought her out of her thoughts, just as the thunderous stomp of Camden's feet came overhead. She cringed as she heard him stomp about, just as she was getting to the door. She heard Finn chuckling as he chased Camden around, shaking her head as she reached the front entry way. She just reached the door when Camden came flying down the stairs, all but colliding with the back of her legs.

"Whoa buddy," she smiled as she reached for the handle. She smiled when she spotted the friends they were expecting on the other side of the door.

They had invited their good friends Deanna and James Murray over for dinner. They had met the older couple at a support group for parents of children with down syndrome. They had joined the group not long after Rachel and Camden had made the move to Cincinnati. They had a daughter, Molly, who was a year older than Camden. Both kids got along well, and a new friendship had formed between the parents as well. Rachel enjoyed having friends that understood what it was like to raise a child with down syndrome, it made it easier to have someone who really understood to talk to when things were rough. And with Camden things were rough quite often.

"Hi there," she smiled as she opened the door wider to reveal their friends. She felt Camden's hands clutch her pants as they stepped into the house. She reached back to rest her hand on Camden's head just as Finn came down the stairs. "Come on in!"

Both Deanna and James smiled at the couple, Molly clinging to Deanna's leg much like Camden was holding on to hers.

She ushered them inside as Camden gripped the back of her pants. Rachel turned to Finn and gave him a pleading look for help.

She took their coats and hung them up while Finn managed to get Camden untangled from Rachel's leg and headed into the living room. Rachel followed and took a seat beside Finn on the couch, with Camden immediately moved to sit on her lap as he continued to stare at Deanna and James with apprehension.

"Did you say hi to Molly, Cam?" Rachel asked quietly as she pressed a kiss into his hair. He looked up at her and knotted his eyebrows at her before turning back to Molly and her parents. Molly returned his stare.

"They'll warm up soon," Deanna smiled as she tickled Molly's side before turning back to Finn and Rachel.

"I'm sure they will," Rachel agreed as she ran her fingers through Camden's hair.

"So you must be excited about the thanksgiving holiday coming up soon," Deanna smiled after a comfortable silence had invaded the room.

"You could say that," Finn smiled. "I'm ready for a break. This school year has already been so hectic and I could really use the time to get ahead on some of my own school work."

Both James and Deanna nodded. "How is that going, anyway?"

Finn smiled. "It's going alright. Getting challenging to find time to do things, especially with Rachel being really sick the last few weeks and all."

She sighed out loud, just as both Deanna and James' attention turned to her exclusively.

"Are you alright?" was Deanna's first question.

Rachel flicked her hand, giving them a small smile. "I'm alright, now. Just pregnant."

It took a second for what she said to sink in with Deanna and James, but when it did Deanna gasped. "Oh that is so exciting!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands happily. "Do you know what you're having yet?"

"We'll find out at our next appointment. I'm just about 17 weeks..."

"Oh that is terrific," Deanna sighed, dreamily as she looked at James. He raised his eyebrows at her as Finn chuckled.

"Mommy, baby," Camden whispered as he stared at both James and Deanna.

"Yes, Mommy is having a baby," Finn chuckled. "He's still getting used to the idea. We're not quite at the acceptance stage just yet."

"It's a big change." Both Finn and Rachel nodded. "But you're feeling better?"

"Starting to. The first several weeks were beyond tough. I thought my pregnancy with him was rough but this one is a whole other story," she sighed, looking at Finn. "But it gets better each day so hopefully I can gain some control back," she bit her lip as she gave their friends a tight smile. "Enough about us though. What about you guys? James, how is the new job going?" she asked quietly. When he gave her a long answer she relaxed against the arm Finn had wrapped around her shoulders. She had successfully deflected the conversation away from herself. She didn't have to pretend to be happier than she felt, at least for a few minutes.

They talked for a few more minutes, just before the timer on the oven went off. Rachel excused herself from the room to take dinner out of the oven just as Molly and Camden began to warm up to each other. They had found some of the small toys that were kept in the living room and had started playing happily.

As she stepped out of the kitchen to announce that dinner was ready, Rachel stopped to watch Molly and Camden playing. They had pulled out a small car mat and some of his small dinky cars to play with. While Finn, James and Deanna chatted she watched as Camden tenderly passed Molly the green dinky car she had just asked for. The green car was his favourite, and the fact that he had handed it over to Molly without much fuss warmed her heart. The two didn't say much to each other, instead choosing to play quietly side by side on the mat, only saying anything to the other when they needed something. She continued to watch them play, chuckling to herself when Camden chuckled as Molly crashed into his car.

"Molly crash," he laughed as he turned to Finn and the Murphy's first. "Molly maked car crash. It funny," he giggled once more. He caught sight of Rachel at the doorway and grinned at her.

"It was funny?"

He nodded as he turned to Molly with a big smile. "I like Molly,"

"Camden funny too," Molly squeaked as she turned to face Rachel too.

Rachel smiled as she watched them play together for a few more minutes. As she watched them, playing side by side and trading cars she couldn't help but let her mind wander. Her hand drifted to the small swell of her stomach as she watched them happily playing together. As she stood there, she had a sudden flash of her life in the future. She could suddenly see it all so clearly, Camden playing or reading on the floor calmly and quietly, while the baby played beside him in his bouncy seat. When she blinked, the vision changed ever so slightly, this time instead - the baby, this time a girl, changed to look just as Camden did when he was an infant except with Finn's amber colored eyes. It was almost as if a sudden peace descended on her as she ran her hand over the swell once more. Everything was going to be okay.

"Babe, is dinner ready?" Finn's voice broke her from her thoughts in an instant and she shook her head of her thoughts. She turned to look at Finn and the Murphy's and smiled gently.

"Yeah. It's ready," she smiled as she walked over to where Camden and Molly were playing.

They made their way over, and once everyone was settled at the table and the kids had dug in, the conversation veered back towards Finn and Rachel.

"So do you have a preference, boy or girl?" Deanna asked as she helped Molly use her fork correctly.

"We're happy with whichever," Finn smiled as he looked over at Rachel. She nodded in agreement. "As long as the baby is happy and healthy we can't ask for anything more,"

"The standard answer, good man," James laughed. "I said I wanted a boy once and I never heard the end of it. I still never hear the end of it." Deanna smacked his arm. "Owe! But I wouldn't change Molly for anything...right princess?"

"Right," she grinned as she took a bite of the lasagna.

"Are you guys going to have more kids?" Rachel asked as she took a sip of her water.

"I think that ship has sailed for us. We were lucky enough to get Molly," Deanna said wistfully. "What about you guys? After this one is done baking, I mean..."

Rachel chuckled at the way she framed the question. "I'm not sure. I think I'm done after this one. I know it's early, but I haven't really been enjoying this whole pregnancy experience," Finn's head shot up from where he sat at the head of the table, his eyes questioning. "With all of the sickness and stuff. But who knows, maybe we'll be blessed one more time..."

Deanna and James looked between the couple before continuing to eat their dinner.

The discussion died, but soon turned to how the kids were doing in school.

"Camden's classroom got a new aide at the beginning of October," Rachel commented. "She's fantastic. A lot more hands on, which is great. Her and Camden have formed a great relationship. She doesn't hover as much as the former one."

"Sometimes that makes all the difference," Deanna agreed. "We had so many problems with Molly last year at school because the aide refused to listen to anything we had to say. It made Molly and us so agitated." Both Rachel and Finn agreed. "But it seems to have gotten better this year. But we've also moved schools, so that might be it as well."

Finn chuckled. Molly had moved to his school at the beginning of the year. "I've been telling you, you just needed to come over to our school," he laughed again. Everyone at the table laughed.

When Camden finished what was on his plate, Rachel let him leave the table with Molly following close behind him.

"See, told you they would warm up to each other," Deanna winked.

"They always do," Rachel smiled warmly before taking a sip of her water. She caught Finn's eye from across the table and gave him a soft smile.

* * *

The Murphy's stayed through dessert, leaving once both Camden and Molly started to get cranky as the night wore on. Rachel stood on the small porch with a sweater wrapped around her middle as she waved them off. Once they had driven to the corner and turned onto the main street, she walked back into the house and towards the kitchen. Without thinking, she walked over to where Finn was standing loading the dishwasher. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing a kiss to his back as her arms tightened around him.

He turned around after placing the dish he was holding on the counter. She leaned into his chest, resting her head above his heart as she clutched him to her.

"They get off okay?" She nodded against him as she just took in his smell. "You okay, babe?"

She looked up at him as he stared down at her. Her eyes searched his as they held each other's gaze. She offered him a small smile to ease his thoughts. "I think I'm going to go take a warm bath, join me when you're finished?"

He nodded as he moved his hand to push her hair from her face. "That sounds great," he smiled gently. "I sent Camden upstairs to get ready for bed, can you tuck him in?"

She nodded, leaning up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. She felt Finn's eyes on her as she walked out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

When she reached his bedroom, she listened at the door for a moment. When she didn't hear a sound, she opened the door slowly only to find Camden sprawled out on the carpet beside his bed, still in his clothes from dinner. She smiled when she saw him laying there, taking in the peacefulness of the scene for a moment before going over and lifting him up gently. He sighed in his sleep when she laid him on his bed. She worked quickly to change him out of his clothes and getting him into pajamas while he slept. When he was dressed and tucked in she kissed his head before heading to her own bedroom to get her bath ready.

She lit some candles around the bathroom while the tub filled, before stripping off her restrictive dress pants and blouse and sinking into the warm water. She closed her eyes as she let the warm water wrap around her. She'd forgotten to turn on the small radio, but the silence that blanketed the small bathroom was welcome. She was just really beginning to relax when the door creaked open and Finn poked his head in.

"Room for one more?" he questioned as he walked into the room more.

She opened her eyes and looked over at him, a soft smile on her features."Always,"

He returned her smile as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She bit her lip as she watched him strip out of his clothes, sitting up slightly when he stepped into the bathtub behind her. She sighed out loud when she allowed herself to relax against him, his arms immediately lacing around her.

He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck as they both sat there quietly, enjoying the calming atmosphere. Her eyes fell closed as his fingertips gently grazed the skin of her belly.

They didn't say anything for awhile. Rachel relished in the feeling of just spending some uninterrupted quiet time with her husband. Things had been so crazy lately, with the business of day to day life and all of the upheaval her all-day sickness had caused, they didn't have much time to just be.

She turned her head slightly to look up at him, and smiled when she noticed that his eyes were closed much like hers had been a few moments before. He swallowed hard, and Rachel took a moment to marvel how his Adam's apple bobbed when he did. She gingerly reached up to touch his chin. He moved his head at her touch, smiling softly down at her.

"I could feel you staring at me," his tired smile reached the corner of his eyes as he looked down at her. He brought his hand up to touch her lip gently. "What's on your mind sweetheart?" He bent his head and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head as he moved his hands back to her belly.

"I was just thinking..." she whispered as she took his hand in hers. "...did you see Camden and Molly playing tonight before dinner?"

"I did. He actually willingly gave up his green car, I thought that was pretty amazing," he commented. "But they usually get along pretty well but I still thought it was pretty great."

She nodded as she played with his fingers. "It just got me thinking, that maybe everything is going to be okay." Finn shifted her in his arms so he could look directly at her.

"Of course everything is going to be okay," he reached up to push her hair away from her face. "You know how I know that?"

She chewed her lip as she looked at him.

"Because it's our baby. And he or she is going to be just as perfect as our first," he smiled.

She smiled hesitantly for a moment. "You're not scared?"

"Scared?" He questioned as his thumb ran over her cheek before moving down her jaw and neck. "What's there to be scared of?"

"Everything," she tapered off quietly.

She heard him sigh."If by everything you mean the possibility of our baby having down syndrome, than no I'm not scared," he paused. He always seemed to just _know_ what she was thinking. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much. It shouldn't come as a surprise.

"But..."

"There are no buts, Rachel," he moved his hand back up to her chin, taking hold of it so she would look at him. "I am so excited about this. I am so excited to be having a baby with you. I can't wait to see what the future brings for us, especially now that you're finally starting to feel better. It's going to be more than great, it's going to be perfect. And you know why I know that?"

"Why?" She asked with shaky breath.

"Because I get to do it with you. And there is nothing better than that. And an extra chromosome is not going to change how I feel about this baby, about you or the situation. I think we've done a good job so far with Camden, don't you?"

She could only nod her response, her throat was thick with emotion as she listened to him.

"I love him with my whole heart Rachel. Just as much as I love this one. So what makes you think that if this baby has down syndrome as well, that it's going to change anything for me?"

She shrugged, sitting up a little as she ran her fingers through her own hair. "It's not going to," she said quietly.

"Pardon, babe? Can you say that again?" he nudged her gently.

"I said it's not going to," she smiled softly. "I just...Finn, I get scared easily."

"I know you do," he whispered as his fingers danced down her arm. "It's one of the things that I love about you," he murmured.

She smiled a little. "I realized tonight though, that there really isn't anything to be afraid of," she took a deep breath before continuing. "When Dr. Bartholomew told me I was pregnant, I was more shocked than scared. I hadn't been expecting to leave her office with that diagnosis. And then when I became so violently sick, I immediately made that connection with my pregnancy with Camden. But this one Finn, I've never been sicker in my entire life. And my brain goes right to, there must be something wrong. And that scared me. It still scares me, to be honest. But even her telling that everything was fine, you telling me it would be fine did nothing. If anything, it led me to thinking that maybe...maybe this is what would make you run. You didn't ask for this Finn, this instant family that you got when you married me but you did it. And you do it so well," she paused as she chewed her lip. She looked down at her hands before continuing. "I don't want to do this myself Finn, I need you. Camden needs you. This baby is going to need you," she whimpered.

"Rachel, you've got me. You've got me forever. All of you have me forever," he whispered. "You know, we can find out if..."

She shook her head. "I don't want to know. I spent my entire pregnancy with Camden arming myself with resources and information that I didn't get to enjoy it," she sighed. "And now that I'm feeling better I want to enjoy it."

Finn moved his hands to gently run and down her arms.

"I love you, Rachel," he murmured as he pressed kisses on her neck. His hands moved to entangle with hers. "We're having a baby! A little you and me mixed together. He or she is going to be perfect, no matter how many chromosomes he or she has. Everything is going to be fine, and you know why I know that?"

She squeezed his hands with hers, waiting for his answer. "Because I'm going to be right here beside you, making sure it's all okay."

She sighed, a gentle smile crossing her features. "I know in my heart, that it's going to be okay. Our baby, will be okay. And okay, to me, means him or her having down syndrome as well. Because we've already got one, what's one more?"

The smile that spread across Finn's face made her heart skip a beat. He pulled her closer to him, even though they were already sitting as close to each other as possible. He nuzzled his face into her neck once more, placing butterfly kisses on her skin. She brought her hand up to clutch his head, closing her eyes for a moment before speaking. "I love you Finn. And I cannot wait to meet our perfect little baby."

"You have no idea how good it feels to hear those words leave your lips babe," he mumbled. "I love you so much."

"I know it may not have seemed like it these past few weeks, but this _is_ what I want. I've let my fears and doubts get in the way of truly feeling excited about this. But tonight I realized that there really is not any reason to _not_ be excited. We're having a baby, Finn! This is...this is the best thing that could ever happen to us. Our family is finally going to be complete," she paused. "And I cannot be more excited to see what the future has in store for us and our beautiful children."

"It's going to be great," he whispered into her neck. "I..."

The gasp that came from her lips cut off his sentence, her hands let go of his and flew to her stomach.

"What? What is it?" The worry furrowed his brow as his hands reached around to cover hers. She moved her hands around the lower half of her belly. He watched as a few emotions passed across her face. Tears came to her eyes as she laced her fingers with Finn's after another moment. "Babe?"

"I..." she stumbled over her words. "I felt a flutter," she whimpered. "The baby moved Finn! I felt it move..." He cupped her belly in his hands as she let out a watery chuckle. Rachel closed her eyes as she pressed her hands to her belly where she had felt it.

"See?" he whispered into her neck.

"It's going to be just fine. The baby is just fine," she sighed happily as she leaned into Finn and finally, fully relaxed.

* * *

**_Thoughts? Hallelujah_**_** Rachel is final****ly on the same page!** _


	7. November 2027

**Well it sure has been awhile hasn't it? I'm tru****ly sorry that it has taken this ****long to get this update to you guys. I'm going to be honest, I have a hundred other story ideas that are f****lying around my brain which are making it very hard to concentrate on this one. But a****las, I wi****l****l see it through to the end!  
Much thanks to my twitter friends for being oh so encouraging and supportive whi****le I strug****g****led hardcore with this one and the one that fo****l****lows.  
As a****lways, I do not own Finn, Rache****l or anyone e****lse that was an origina****l g****lee character. Respectfu****l****ly they be****long to RIB. I do however own Camden and the p****lot. I don't pretend to be a medica****l professiona****l so any and a****l****l mistakes are mine.**

ENJOY!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_November 2027_

_Rachel wrung her hands in her lap as they sat in the office of her ob/gyn, Dr. Tucker. She looked over at Nathan, who seemed calm and collected as he read the newspaper he had picked up off the table. He was so calm while she was nervous as hell. She unclenched her hands and placed them on her small belly. She smiled when she felt the baby kick her gently, nudging her hand.  
They were hopefully going to find out the gender of their baby today, and those thoughts made her both really excited and simultaneously nervous. Knowing whether her baby was a girl or a boy would further solidify the reality for her, not that she didn't love the tiny being a ton already._

_"Rachel Berry?"_

_Nathan put the paper down and gave her a smile before standing up. He helped her up as the nurse smiled at them before they followed her back to an exam room._

_"Exciting day, huh?" the chipper nurse smiled. "Gender reveal day."_

_Rachel smiled over at Nathan as the nurse led her over to the scale. "It is. We're excited."_

_When they'd finished getting her stats, the nurse left her to get changed so she could send the sonographer in to do the ultrasound._

_She held tight to Nathan's hand as the woman got set up before she turned to her and smiled._

_"Any last bets?" Melanie, the sonographer smiled._

_Nathan chuckled as he looked at her, pulling her hand to his mouth. "I'm still saying it's a boy," he smiled._

_"I just want a healthy baby," Rachel grinned._

_"That too," Nathan smiled as Melanie squeezed the blue gel onto her small belly._

_"Here we go," she smiled._

_Rachel squeezed Nathan's hand as the wand moved around her stomach, trying to get the baby's measurements. It took few minutes, longer than Rachel thought was necessary, but eventually Melanie turned the screen towards them._

_"There's your baby," she smiled, moving the wand over the baby's profile. "Say hello, to your little boy."_

Rachel smiled as she watched Camden sit on the chair beside Finn while she reclined on the examination bed. He grinned up at her, an excited smile on his face before turning to look back at the iPad in his hands.

"Go lunch now?" he asked, his eyes bright. They'd scheduled their ultrasound for a Saturday this time, so that they could take Camden. Given his earlier hesitance and misunderstanding, both Finn and Rachel had decided it would be a good idea for him to have a chance to see his brother or sister up close.

Rachel smiled as she allowed her hands to fall to her bump, the little baby inside fluttering as she did so.

"Soon pal, first we're going to see your baby brother or sister, isn't that exciting?" Finn asked as ruffled Camden's hair. He grinned up over at Rachel. "Kicking?"

Rachel gave him a smile back."Something like that. Getting into a good position, I hope."

Camden huffed and looked over at Rachel. "See baby?"

They had started to explain to him earlier in the week about what was going to happen today. Both Finn and Rachel had each been too excited about this upcoming appointment to contain it. It had dominated their conversations not only at bedtime but at dinner as well. For Camden, they had shown him the original ultrasound they had at the beginning of their pregnancy. Rachel had even thought to show him the ultrasounds she had gotten with him in order to show him something more tangible than the tiny image of his brother or sister. Neither image had helped in terms of trying to get him to understand what was about to happen.

"We're going to see the baby, are you excited?" Finn asked as he ruffled his hair.

Camden looked up at him with a weary smile. "How see?" He gave Rachel a skeptical look as his eyes fell to her belly. "Baby out?"

Rachel chuckled. "Not yet. The doctor is going to use the computer to see the baby."

Camden gave her another skeptical look before he went back to his iPad, giggling as the game he was playing came back to life.

Dr. Bartholomew joined them a few minutes later, smiling when she saw that they had brought Camden along for the ultrasound.

"Well I see the gang is all here," she smiled as she pulled out her stool to sit on. "How are you feeling Rachel?"

Rachel grinned as she looked over at Finn who had stood up from his seat to take her hand. "I'm actually feeling a lot better."

"Any more nausea?" she asked as she booted up the computer.

"Not anymore. It's seemed to finally clear up and I couldn't be more thankful," she smiled. Finn nodded.

"Mommy no sick," Camden commented from where he sat, looking up from his iPad."Yucky."

"I bet it was yucky," Dr. Bartholomew smiled. She turned back to Rachel and Finn. "But everything is going okay?" She picked up the chart the nurse had filled in when they had arrived. "looks like you're right on target for your weight gain," she paused as she stood up. She took some quick measurements of Rachel's belly while Finn looked on. He squeezed her hand before leaning over to give her a quick kiss while Dr. Bartholomew made her notes.

"Alright, everything looks good out here. Let's see how everything is going on the inside," she smiled. "You guys still want to know the sex?"

Both Finn and Rachel nodded. "We do. I'm dying," Rachel laughed. "I'm not good with surprises."

Dr. Bartholomew nodded. Before she applied the gel to her small belly, she apologized. "Sorry, it may be cold..."

Rachel chuckled when she felt the blue gel hit her skin. Dr. Bartholomew placed the wand on her stomach, moving it around to get the baby into focus. Rachel felt her breath hitch in her throat when the baby came into sight, giving Finn's hand a squeeze as she did so. She dragged her eyes away from the screen to look up at him. His eyes were peeled to the screen. But like always, he could feel Rachel's eyes on him and turned to smile at her. Camden sliding off his seat broke the moment. Finn turned just as Camden was about to pull on his pants to get his attention.

"I see?"

Finn nodded and dropped Rachel's hand for a second to scoop Camden up into his arms. He hoisted the little boy onto his hip as Dr. Bartholomew turned to them.

"So here's the head, you can see the spine here..." She moved the wand around Rachel's stomach, highlighting the important parts. Rachel felt Finn grip her hand in his as they all watched intently. "and here, you can see her pretty little toes."

A silence fell over the room as the words Dr. Bartholomew had spoken sunk in.

"Pretty toes," Camden repeated. "Her toes." He turned to look up at Finn. "Baby toes Daddy."

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat as tears came to her eyes. She felt Finn rub his hand over her knuckles as Dr. Bartholomew smiled at them.

"Congratulations Mommy and Daddy, it's a girl."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the screen, tears clouding her vision. She licked her lip as Finn leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. She placed her hand on the side of his face as tears poured from her eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered against her lips. "Thank you baby..."

She gasped when he pulled away, her hand still on his cheek. "It's a girl. We're having a girl." She moved her hand off of Finn's cheek and reached for Camden's cheek. "You're having a sister."

"Sister?" he questioned as he looked between her and Finn. "I has sister."

"Would Mommy and Daddy like pictures?" Dr. Bartholomew asked after a few moments.

Rachel nodded her head quickly without waiting for Finn's answer. "Of course," she paused. "She's...she's okay, right?"

Dr. Bartholomew smiled gently as she looked at Finn, Rachel and Camden. "Everything looks good. She's growing right along target, just slightly bigger but given her genes," she looked at Finn. "that's appropriate."

Rachel chuckled as Camden wiggled in Finn's arms to get down and go back to his iPad. "What about..."

"I don't see any markers for Down Syndrome. But I can't say for certain since you decided to forgo formal testing," she answered. "She looks great for 18 weeks, 6 days."

Both Rachel and Finn grinned at each other as Dr. Bartholomew busied herself printing the pictures. Rachel cleaned herself up before sitting up. Dr. Bartholomew finished up and left after handing them the pictures of their new baby girl.

Finn collected Camden's things while she helped him into his coat.

"Sister," Camden smiled brightly.

Rachel grinned at her him with a watery smile. "That's right. You're having a sister."She looked up at Finn from where she was crouched on the floor. He smiled down at her before helping her stand up, taking both Camden and her hands in his.

Finn couldn't take his eyes off of Rachel. Him and Camden waited while Rachel made another appointment for next month and he couldn't turn away from her.

"What?" She asked as she joined them.

He shook his head as he placed his arm around her waist. "Nothing. I just...can't believe we're here..."

She smiled gently before leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm just glad you're here with me."

"Where else would I be?"

All she could do was smile in return.

Finn led them out of the doctor's office and towards their car. When Camden was safely buckled in the backseat, Finn took a moment to pull Rachel tightly against him.

"I love you," he whispered as he pushed her hair back from her face. He looked down at her, his eyes set on hers intently. She smiled up at him as his hands trailed to her cheeks. He used his thumb to brush under her eyes.

"I love you too."

"How about we go out for lunch?" His hands dropped to her belly, running over the small curve. "Celebrate a little?"

She smiled at him once more. "That sounds fantastic. Can we get Italian?" She nibbled her lip as she looked at him.

"Of course. Whatever my girls want," he winked as he opened the door for her to get into the car.

* * *

Rachel felt exhausted. They'd stopped on the way home to grab groceries, and by the time Rachel walked into the house she felt all of her energy was zapped.

"I go play now?" Camden asked as he hung up his coat on the hook just inside the door.

Rachel nodded as she rubbed her eyes. "Sure." He grinned up at her as he kicked off his shoes before running for the basement door. Perry's excited bark from his crate echoed as Camden ran by, causing Rachel to rub her temples tiredly.

"Watch out babe," Finn called from behind her. She moved out of the way so he could get through with the first load of groceries. When he dropped them in the kitchen and walked back towards the garage door, he found her still standing in place. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Just really tired. I'll start putting away the groceries..."

She went to walk out towards the kitchen when she felt him grab her shoulder.

"Babe, go lie down. I can get the groceries put away."

"But..."

He smiled when he looked at her, grabbing her other shoulder before turning her gently in the direction of the staircase. "Go lie down. Cam's playing nicely downstairs and I have some marking to do after I finish with the groceries. All things I can accomplish while you rest."

She bit her lip as she covered her mouth with her hand. "If you insist."

"I insist. Go take care of our baby girl," he winked before going back out into the garage. She smiled slightly and walked towards the front hall, opening the basement door a little more as she passed.

She walked into their bedroom and allowed her shoulders to drop tiredly as she moved towards the bed. She shed her maternity jeans she had worn for the day, exchanging them for her pajama pants before slipping beneath the covers. She sighed as she rolled onto her back, her eyes blinking up at the ceiling as the events of the day caught up with her. She couldn't believe she was having a little girl. Back when she was dating Finn the first time in high school, Rachel had often dreamed about the children she thought they would inevitably have. In every dream, every instance they had a boy first followed by a little girl. The kids that followed all came in different orders but one thing never changed. It was always boy first, then girl. That's why, in the back of her mind she was worried about today's ultrasound. It wasn't because she wanted one over the other, she just wanted a healthy baby with how sick she had been at the beginning. She was worried because she had this irrational fear that if the baby she was carrying was a boy, Finn would love it more than he loved Camden. Stupid, of course. She knew Finn, knew that would never be the case. She saw how he treated Camden. It seemed even to her that he was making a point to spend even MORE time with the little boy since she had gotten pregnant. So when Dr. Bartholomew had announced that the baby was a girl her breath had immediately caught in her throat. She had no doubt that this was going to be the most loved baby girl she had ever known. Just the look in Finn's eyes when he kissed her told her so much. And the way he had included Camden in the discovery, how he had held him close had made her feel all the more content about the future. This was her family. This is what she had always dreamed of.

She smiled when she felt the baby gently kick inside her, almost as if she knew Rachel was thinking about her. The fluttering she had been feeling was getting stronger by the day. Every time she mentioned the baby moving, she saw Finn's eyes soften. She knew he couldn't wait to feel it for himself and she almost couldn't wait for him to share it with her.  
She rolled back onto her side, her hand still cradling her small belly. Her eyes fluttered closed as sleep finally came for her.

It was Finn shaking her shoulder gently that woke her. She blinked slowly, his handsome face coming into her view.

"Hey sleepyhead," he whispered as he sat on the edge of the mattress.

"What time is it?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes before she sat up.

"5:30," he answered softly, leaning over and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep good?"

She nodded, a yawn escaping her lips. Finn chuckled as he pushed her hair from her eyes. His other hand travelled to her bump, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her lips. When they pulled away, she watched as he stared lovingly at her bump.

"I can't wait until she kicks hard enough for me to feel," he whispered. "I can't wait to meet her."

His eyes met hers as he gave her a soft smile. "I can't wait for everything life has to offer us Rachel." His thumb stroked her belly. "It's going to be great."

And in his eyes, she saw the answer to the question she hadn't even thought to verbalize. Yeah, it would be okay. It was going to be perfect.

* * *

She was having one of those days. When she got up the morning of Thanksgiving, she could feel that her energy level was going to be at an all time low. She felt bad because she had overslept; through her alarm and it was only Finn's gentle nudges that had gotten her to finally get up.

She stood under the hot spray of the shower, hoping it would wake her up more. She could hear Finn and Camden banging around in his bedroom. He'd promised to get Camden ready for the long drive to his parents house for Thanksgiving. She just hoped he was dressing him in the clothes she had laid out for him to wear today. She finished washing up and got out, groaning as she wrapped a towel around her achy body. Upon inspection of her skin when she stepped out of the shower, she realized she had sprouted the acne on her forehead she had been hoping wouldn't appear. She had had horrible acne when she was pregnant with Camden, and it seemed like she wasn't going to escape it with this one either. Though it's appearance was later than it had been with him. She sighed as she walked out of the bedroom, her left hand bracing her back as she walked into the bedroom. In the last few days she had seemingly exploded on the belly front, her baby girl making her presence known more and more. Her hips ached if she stood too long, and the fact that she was only just making it to the half way mark of an already long pregnancy made her head spin.

She dressed carefully, choosing tights instead of the dress pants she was going to wear since they didn't sit right on her hips and she knew, from experience that it was going to get more uncomfortable as the day went on. The sweater she had bought a few weeks ago fit differently now that her belly was getting bigger, and as she walked into the bathroom and took in her appearance she wasn't sure she was happy with it. She pulled at the sleeves, trying to stretch the tight fabric. She felt constricted and like it was to clingy to her midsection. She was just reaching for the hem of her sweater to pull it over her head when Finn entered the bathroom, stopping to lean against the doorway.

She dropped her hands from her sweater when she caught sight of him, huffing out a breath.

"I should change, right?" she sighed when she turned to look up at him.

"Change? Are you serious?" He lifted himself off the doorframe and came to stand in front of her. He reached for her hips and pulled her closer to him. He tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eye. "Don't change. You look beautiful." When she tried to look away from him, he coerced her into looking into him in the eye. "You look great babe. Seriously," he grinned as his hands came up to embrace her bump in his large hands. She gave him a small smile as she covered her hands with his. He leaned his forehead onto hers before placing a kiss on her lips. Rachel closed her eyes as they heard a big bang come from downstairs before Camden called both of their names.

"Guess that's our cue that it's time to get going," he breathed against her skin. "I'll go see what happened..."

"I'll finish getting ready...cover this..." she gestured to her forehead. "Did you put our bags in the car?"

He nodded, patting her hip one more time before leaving the bathroom to go see what Camden had destroyed.

* * *

The ride destroyed her back. She'd spent the entire ride trying to get comfortable, her hips stiffening the longer the drive went. The moment they parked in the driveway Camden had gotten his seatbelt undone and thrown down his iPad in an effort to get out of the car quickly. He loved visiting Carole and Burt's because they spoiled him rotten, and Rachel loved the relationship he had with his grandparents. She took her time getting out of the car as Finn released Camden from the backseat.

"You okay?" He asked as he came around to her side of the car, taking her hand to help her out.

"Yeah," she sighed, pushing the lone piece of hair back behind her ear. He stared at her intently, reading her eyes to make sure she was telling the truth.

"You going to be okay to stay here tonight?"

She shrugged. "We'll see I guess."

He sighed as he followed her up the pathway to the house.

Camden had already gone into the house, leaving a pile at the front door that consisted of his hat, coat and scarf. Rachel groaned as she put down the duffle bag she had been carrying and picked up the coat off the floor, wincing as a pain spread in her lower back as she did so.

"Finn? Rachel?" Carole poked her head out of the kitchen, grinning when she saw them standing at the front door taking off their coats. "There you are! Cam blew through here like a mini tornado, I was hoping you guys wouldn't be too far behind," she smiled as she met them at the front door. She gave Rachel a quick hug, smiling at her when she pulled away. "It is so great to see you guys! I'm so glad you could make it!"

Both Finn and Rachel smiled at Carole's words. "Mom, it's only been a few weeks," Finn chuckled.

"Oh hush," she swatted at him before hugging him. She pulled away and took the pie from Finn before walking back towards the kitchen.

Finn placed a kiss on her cheek before picking up the bags and heading for the stairs. "Why don't you go sit babe, if your back hurts?"

"I should see if your Mom wants some help..."

"I heard that," Carole popped out of the kitchen again. "Everything is set, the turkey just needs a little bit longer in the oven. And we have to wait for Burt to get here with Kurt and Blaine,"

Rachel nodded as she followed Carole into the living room. They both settled on the couch. Rachel sighed as she adjusted the cushion behind her, Carole eyeing her carefully.

"You okay?"

Rachel nodded. "The drive really killed my back. I've been dealing with a lot of pain there and in my hips, already," she sighed. She clasped her hands in front of her belly, running her thumb over the small curve. "This little one isn't going to let me down easy,"

Carole smiled sympathetically. "I just can't get over your little belly!"

Rachel smiled softly, continuing the soothing motion she was making with her thumb around her belly button.

"Are you feeling any movement yet?" Carole asked, her eyes showing her excitement.

Rachel nodded. "I've been feeling flutters for a little bit now that are starting to get stronger pretty much every day. Finn hasn't been able to feel anything just yet," she sighed.

Carole nodded before gesturing to her belly. "May I?"

Rachel nodded as Carole placed her hand on her belly, smiling happily. "I am so excited for you guys!" she exclaimed as she moved her hand off. "Just you wait, if that baby is anything like it's father it'll keep you up all night with its incessant kicks and punches," she laughed. "When Finn got into drums I was not surprised in the least." Rachel smiled as she listened to Carole. "I am sorry though. Hudson babies are not known to be small."

"Dr. Bartholomew is already saying the baby is measuring above average," she sighed as she brought her hands back to her bump. "Hence the early bump here...and it being my second pregnancy and all." Carole nodded understandingly as Finn came into the living room and dropped onto the couch on the other side of Rachel. She winced when it jostled the position of her pillows.

"Sorry babe," he kissed her cheek quickly and fixed the pillow for her again. She smiled weakly and put her head on his shoulder. "Cam is upstairs in the spare room playing with that car mat that's up there. In case you were wondering why it's so quiet."

Carole gave them both a small smile.

"That'll change when Kurt and Blaine get here," Rachel smiled. "He loves them."

Finn nodded.

"How has he been coping, anyway?" Carole asked she broke the silence that had fallen over them. "With the new baby, and all..."

Rachel gave her a soft smile.

Finn smiled as well, speaking up before Rachel had a chance. "He's been good. We took him with us for the last ultrasound. He seemed to enjoy it,"

"You guys must have pictures then!" Carole squealed as she sat up and clapped her hands.

Both Rachel and Finn looked at each other, just as the front door opened and the chaotic sounds of Burt, Kurt and Blaine coming through the door sounded. Rachel blew out a breath when Carole rose to go greet them, looking over at Finn.

"Saved by the door," he commented as he kissed her cheek.

They were planning to reveal the gender on Christmas Day, and knowing Carole, if they showed her the ultrasound she would be able to determine that the baby was a girl just by looking at it.

"We come bearing gifts!" Kurt squealed when he walked into the living room. Rachel's eyes widened when he thrust a bag at Rachel specifically.

"Kurt," she warned as she sat up a little, taking the bag from him. "You didn't..."

"Are you kidding? These are just a few things I saw in my travels that I thought would be perfect for you and the baby..." he grinned. She smiled hesitantly at him as she caught Camden running into the room to give them hugs.

She dug through the bag and picked out a few of the items that were in the bag. There were dozens of little sleepers, socks and neutral colored shirts in the bag, all for the new baby. There were also a few shirts for her and a dress. Even a button down shirt for Finn.

Tears rose in her eyes when she realized there was nothing in the bag for Camden. She took a deep breath, not wanting to make a big deal at first. She turned to Kurt and smiled.

"Thanks Kurt, it's all...it's all wonderful." She put the bag down on the floor at her feet before clearing her throat and standing up. "Excuse me."

She was out of the room before Finn could stop her. The tears rose to her eyes immediately as she walked up the stairs slowly. She tried to hold her sob in until she got to the safety of the first room she could find. But it was the sight of seeing Camden in the spare room playing with the car mat by himself that finally enticed the tears to spill and a sob to emerge from her lips. She rushed into the bedroom across the hall and sat down on the bed as her heightened emotions took control.

She sobbed into her hands, big heaving sobs that wracked her shoulders. It's everything all at once that's caused her tears to spill at a rapid rate. It's the attention that has been bestowed on her and her small bump from the moment she walked in the door, it's the fact that Kurt and Blaine didn't think to bring a gift for Camden, it's the fact that even she hadn't noticed him slip out of the room to come play quietly upstairs. It's everything with this day, the pain she feels in her back and her hips, it's how tired she is. It's just everything and she doesn't like it.

She was used to being happy, lately. Even more so since she learned she was carrying a little girl. But this onslaught of sadness, the emotions were just too much.

"Oh babe," she heard Finn's voice at the door of the room but didn't look up. Instead, she buried her eyes in the palms of her hands, rubbing fiercely to get the tears to stop. But once they started, there was no stopping them from flowing.

"Go away." She mumbled into her hands without looking up at him. She knew he wouldn't listen, so it didn't surprise her when the mattress sunk beneath him right beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. She finally moved her hands and turned to bury her face in the softness of his sweater.

"You and I both know that I'm not just going to go away," he tried to joke.

"Finn," she warned as she hiccupped.

He tried to push her slightly away from him, but instead she cuddled into him more, whimpering as she clung to him. "Babe, I can't help you if I don't..."

Another sob rose as she buried her face in his sweater more. His hands wrapped around her and he rubbed her back. "You have to calm down babe, it's not good for the..."

"Don't say it's not good for the baby!" She pushed him away hurriedly, wiping at her tears with her hands.

"Rach..."

She untangled herself from his arms and shifted so he couldn't reach her, wincing as she did so.

"No Finn..." She stood up from the bed and turned to look at him, her eyes puffy and lips swollen. "That's the problem!" She cried as she stomped her foot.

"What?" He was confused. "There's a problem?"

She extended her hand out to him and pulled him from the room to stand in the doorway across the hall.

"This is the problem," she whispered, her voice thick. Camden was still playing by himself in the bedroom. He didn't even seem to realize they were standing there. To Finn, it looked like he was happily playing.

"I didn't even know he came back up here. Did you?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"I..." Finn rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at Camden. He looked down at the floor.

"This is what I was so afraid of Finn. Everyone is so worried, so concerned, so...intrigued by this..." she pointed at her belly. "That they don't care about my first baby anymore. This is my nightmare come true." A sob rose from her lips just then, and she turned quickly to move away from the room.

Finn sighed as he took one more look at Camden who didn't seem at all bothered by their presence or Rachel's leaving.

He found her back in his childhood bedroom, curled on her left side with her hand cradling her belly. His heart broke as he heard her sobs.

"Rach," he whispered as he kneeled in front of the bed. "It's not that they don't love Camden anymore. Everyone loves Camden," he paused as he reached over to wipe her flowing tears. "He's our boy. Everyone is just excited about the new baby too. Just like we are, it's exciting that in a few months there's going to be a new little baby in our family."

"That's not the point Finn!" She cried as she attempted to roll over, wincing when she shifted in a way that hurt her back.

"Rachel." He sat back on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her. "I don't know how to help you right now. They didn't cover this in the books..."

"Of course they didn't. Because no-one has their first child rejected by his own family," she sobbed.

"He's not being rejected though, Rach," he paused, taking a deep breath. "You know Camden, he likes to play by himself. This isn't new. He plays in there all the time..." He wanted to pull out his hair.

"But Kurt and Blaine didn't bring him anything! And all I've heard today is the baby this, and the baby that..."

"Rachel. They did get him something. Did you not look in that bag more?"

Her lip trembled as he she looked at him. He sat up on his knees again and touched her cheek gently. "There were clothes in the bag for Camden too. You didn't see it because it was a matching shirt to the one he got for me. He had them made, Rachel. He saw the shirt for me and had an identical one made for Camden because he knows how much Camden loves it when we dress alike. Your dress matches them too, and there's a bib for the baby that matches. That's how much Kurt cares," he murmured as he wiped her tears. "And my mom, babe, she is just over the moon about having another grandchild. She doesn't mean anything by it. She's worried about you. But she loves Cam too. Heck, she didn't let me leave my toys and everything laying around when I was a kid. That car mat has been laid out since we were here last," he chuckled. "Everyone loves him Rach, and no one has forgotten about him. He wouldn't let them even if they tried." She gave a watery chuckle as she touched his hand that was on her cheek.

"Mommy?" Finn turned around to see Camden standing in the doorway of the room, truck in his hand.

Rachel tried to smile from the bed while Finn extended his arm out to him. Camden smiled and walked into his arm. "Mommy okay?" Finn pressed a kiss to Camden's head as he leaned onto the mattress and pressed a hand to her belly. "Sister okay?"

The tears rose in Rachel's eyes as she looked at Finn over his head. "Everyone is fine baby. Everyone is perfect."

"I give baby kiss?" he asked, a serious expression on his face.

"Of course Cam," she whispered. "She would love that..."

He stared at her belly for a moment before leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to her belly. "My sister," he whispered before looking up at Rachel and grinning. "My sister," he repeated.

Rachel couldn't help but let the tears come to her eyes again. This time they were happy tears. Finn laughed and leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek before leaning over and pressing his own kiss to Rachel's belly as Camden did the same once more. This was all she needed.

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	8. December 2027

**Well! What do we have here! Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I don't have a lot to say, but just know that this story seems to be pouring out of me faster these days. Seems like a lot of my hangups are over, and we're speeding towards the inevitable end. I hope you all enjoy this! I do have to apo****logize though, this one is just not as ****long as the others. :(  
**  
**As always, thanks to the twitter gang for everything. And unfortunately, I don't own Finn or Rachel or anyone from glee,they belong to RIB. Just Camden, the plot and well the new baby too! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_December 2027_

"When my turn Mommy?" Camden trained his blue eyes up on Rachel as he clutched her hand in his. They were standing in a long line waiting to see Santa. It was three days before Christmas, and the longer they stood in line the more Rachel regretted waiting so long to take him to see the big guy in red. She smiled down at him while using her free hand to press into the small of her back.

"It'll be your turn soon Cam," she smiled through her backache as Finn ruffled his hair.

"What are you going to ask Santa for, Pal?" he smiled, crouching down to his level.

Camden gave a long look of contemplation, tapping a finger on his chin before looking down at Finn. "Legos," he said after a long beat. "Blue and green legos!" He tugged on Rachel's hand in excitement.

"Legos," Rachel repeated as she looked at Finn. They had gone shopping one evening after work while Camden had an afterschool play date with Molly and Rachel had agonized over whether Camden would play with them. Typically he was more into puzzles, books and things with wheels so they hadn't gotten him a whole lot of Lego over the years. But now it was clear he wanted them.

Finn grinned as he stood to full height, ruffling Camden's hair once more as they stepped closer to Santa. He giggled in excitement as he jumped on his toes, tugging on Rachel's arm again.

"You okay babe?"

She pressed her hand again to the small of her back.

"Yeah. Back just hurts," she mumbled. Finn stepped around Camden and wrapped one of his arms around her waist, meeting hers on the sore spot on her back.

"I'm sorry Rach," he whispered as he kissed her cheek. "Do you want to go sit on the bench?"

She shook her head no as they stepped closer once more.

As they got closer, Camden's reactions became more timid. Rachel gently ran her fingers through his hair as Finn kept his large hand on the small of her back. Once they got to the front, it took a little coaxing for Camden to go up to Santa.

Over the years, they had started celebrating Christmas more prominently especially after they had gotten married. She knew how much the holiday meant to Finn, and once Camden had gotten the hang of it he had come to love it as much as Finn did. They still celebrated Hanukkah as well, but had come to integrate the two holidays together. Camden was just happy with the plethora of gifts he usually got.

They both stood off to the side as they watched Camden sit with the man in red, becoming more comfortable as the camera clicked. Rachel smiled as she watched him chat animatedly with Santa before hopping off of his lap and heading to where her and Finn were waiting at the exit. After Finn paid for the pictures Camden had taken, the three of them set off to finish some of their last minute Christmas shopping.

* * *

By the time they reached the house, Rachel was exhausted. Her back was killing her, and her head had started to pound just as they were pulling into the garage. She rubbed her temples just as she felt Finn's hand land on her thigh.

"How does pizza sound for dinner?" he asked, smiling gently at her. She saw his forehead was creased in what she could assume was worry as he looked at her. He could always read her like a book.

"That sounds amazing. With extra cheese?" Her stomach grumbled at the thought of a nice slice of greasy pizza just as the baby gave her a nudge. "Your little girl would really like extra cheese," she smiled tiredly.

"Than it shall be done," he patted her thigh before looking back at Camden who was impatiently waiting for them to open the car door so he could climb out. "How does pizza sound for dinner, Pal?"

"Pizza!" he cheered as he clapped.

"Guess that settles it then," he laughed.

She followed the two of them into the house after Finn promised to get their bags later. Camden immediately ran off to play in the basement with some toys while Finn got Perry out of his crate and ordered the pizza. Rachel settled on the couch, leaning back against the couch cushion as she closed her eyes.

"Pizza is all ordered," Finn smiled as he walked into the room. "Babe, you okay?'

She nodded slowly as her hands ran over her small bump. She felt the couch sink beside her as Finn sat beside her.

"Just tired," she mumbled without opening her eyes. "Too much standing I think."

"Why didn't you say anything Rach...we could've..."

"We had to get the shopping done Finn," she sighed. "I'll be alright. I'm used to this pain, though it started later when I was pregnant with Camden."

Finn's heart softened as he looked at her.

He leaned over and pressed his lips to her belly between where her hands rested. "You go easy on your Mommy in there, little girl," he smiled against her shirt. He placed his hand where his lips were resting, content to just hold it there to offer some comfort. What he didn't expect was to feel a little nudge against his hand.

Rachel's eyes flew open as a gasp left Finn's mouth. "I..." his voice shuddered as he moved his thumb across the spot he had felt the movement. He looked up at her, with tears glistening in his eyes. "I felt her move, Rach..."

She opened her eyes to look down at him, bringing her hand to touch his cheek.

"Finn," she smiled as she ran her thumb along her cheek.

He chuckled as he leaned up to press a kiss to her lips as her smile widened against his. His lips went back down to her belly, raining kisses all over by focusing on where the baby had kicked. "Hi baby, Daddy loves you so much," he chuckled. "I can't wait until you kick.." he grinned as he felt the slight nudge once more.

Rachel laughed tiredly and ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed her belly one more time.

He had been waiting so long to feel the baby kick. Ever since Rachel had told him she was pregnant, Finn had dreamed of the day he'd be able to press his hand to her belly and feel for himself that their baby was growing. When the movement stopped, he sat back up and took Rachel's chin in his hand, bringing her face closer to his to place a kiss on her lips, pouring everything he felt for her into the kiss.  
"I love you," he smiled when he pulled away once more.

She just grinned as she patted his cheek. "I love you too."

* * *

Rachel groaned when she felt Finn's hand pull her body into his and his lips leave a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Wake up sleepyhead," he whispered against the skin of her neck.

"Finn," she whined as she curled into herself as much as her bump would allow. She could feel Finn smiling against her neck.

"It's either me waking you up like this, or Camden jumping on the bed any minute. I thought..."

She rolled over abruptly in his arms, her eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the slight light coming from Finn's bedside lamp.

"I'm up..." she groaned. "I'm up." She pulled out of his arms for a moment, adjusting her body so she was sitting up in bed more. She pushed her hair back from her face as Finn grinned at her, his hand finding her belly almost hesitantly. "Give her a few minutes," she whispered just as they heard the telltale sounds of Camden jumping out of his bed and running towards their bedroom.

He gave her a soft smile.

Since feeling the baby move a few days ago, Finn's hands had been on Rachel's belly any time he could. At first it was endearing, watching his face light up the few times the baby had actually moved aggressively enough for him to feel. But she'd be lying if she said it wasn't annoying. She almost wished the first movements had happened while he was still working so she wouldn't feel so bombarded but no such luck. Her body seemed to be in transition once again, and everything ached and hurt. Baby Girl Hudson wasn't making life any easier.

"Merry Christmas," he smiled just as their bedroom door burst open and Camden came flying in. Finn caught him quickly in his arms, helping him up onto the bed for a morning snuggle.

"Merry Christmas Camden," Rachel smiled as he got comfortable between both of them.

"Merry Christmas Mommy!" He giggled before grinning up at Finn and saying the same.

"Merry Christmas Pal."

Rachel's hands gripped her stomach when she felt the tell tale movements inside her belly. Camden looked up at her, giving her a quizzical look.

"Your sister is waking up too," she smiled softly.

"I feel it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," Rachel smiled. "I'm not sure if you'll be able to feel but here," she gently took his hand pressed it tightly to where she had been feeling the movements seconds before. She smiled when she saw Camden's brow furrow. The baby wasn't moving, but she didn't want to take his hand away just yet. Both her and Finn chuckled when a gasp escaped Camden's lips.

"I feel it!' he exclaimed. "Sister kick!"

"Something like that," Rachel laughed. "I think it's more just a movement but it might be a foot or something." She smiled widely, looking over Camden's head to look at Finn. He smiled back.

"I love my sister," he grinned proudly before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her belly. Tears immediately rose in her eyes as Finn leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips.

They went downstairs and both Rachel and Finn laughed when Camden gasped at the sight of the gifts under the tree.

"Santa camed!" he squealed as he ran towards the tree. "For me?"

Both Finn and Rachel laughed once more, just as Finn tapped her hip before approaching Camden. He ruffled his hair as he knelt beside him.

"I bet a bunch of these are for you, but I think some might be for Mommy."

"And sister?" He asked before sticking his fingers in his mouth.

Finn looked back at Rachel as she came to sit on the couch, clutching her belly in her hands.

"Yeah, maybe there are some gifts for your sister," he smiled. "Now let's find one with your name on it!" Camden cheered at the suggestion as he settled on the floor by Rachel's feet and waited for Finn to pass him a gift to unwrap.

Rachel could admit that she went overboard this Christmas. When she looked at the pile after she wrapped it, the number of gifts Camden had was astounding. She tried to balance what was from Santa and what was from them. But there was still a lot, compared to previous years. She blamed it on her hormones, her need to compensate for the fact that they were changing his world and the overall need to remind him he was loved. She knew it wasn't right, but she had just felt compelled to fill every item on his wish list, only giving up a few things for their family and Nathan to pick up.

"Here you go Cam, this one is from Mommy and Daddy," Finn smiled as he passed a box on the smaller side to Cam.

They both watched as he tore through the wrapping paper, finding the game of Frustration under the paper. He giggled excitedly at the box just as Rachel ruffled his hair.

After he unwrapped many of his gifts with the same gusto, finding a few leveled reading books and a Lego set among other things, Finn interrupted the flow by passing a gift to Rachel.  
"What's this?" She smiled as she took the gift from his hands, it was pretty heavy.

"Is for you Mommy," Camden smiled as he flipped through the book he had picked out of the box that featured Batman.

"I see," she smiled as she tore at the paper. Inside she found two of her favourite candles nestled amongst the tissue paper. She lifted one to her nose, taking in the scent and smiled at the soft lavender scent. The other one was vanilla; he had gotten her favorites. "Thank you baby," she sighed as she put them back in the box before turning to the tree.

"Now how about Daddy takes a turn?" she smiled. "That big red box is yours."

Finn raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't look at me like that, just open it."

"Yeah Daddy," Camden giggled.

"Want to help me Pal?"

Camden nodded and scrambled to his feet to make it over to Finn.

Together, they tore off the red paper to find a gorgeous fake leather jacket she knew he had had his eye on for awhile. In some of her solo travels she had noticed it had gone on sale, and although the price was still high it was more reasonable. She knew it was something Finn would never buy for himself; especially with the baby due in a few months.

"Babe," he sighed as he eyed her.

She simply smiled as her thumb rubbed along her belly before stating, "you deserve it."

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure what had possessed her to offer her house up for Christmas dinner, let alone Christmas dinner with their entire family. She sighed as she closed the oven door just in time for Camden and Perry to come whizzing through the kitchen, the dog chasing the little boy exuberantly. Rachel rubbed her forehead as she moved away from the oven to make sure everything was set on the table.  
She counted the table settings over, ticking off on her hands that she had covered everyone. It was going to be a tight fit, and she realized now why they had been the ones to travel to either his parents or hers the years before.

"Relax." She felt Finn come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder as his thumb rubbed her stomach gently.

"Finn I..."

The doorbell ringing interrupted whatever thought was on the tip of her tongue.

"I get it!" Camden called as he ran through the living room towards the front door with Perry on his heels. Rachel furrowed her brow just as Finn sighed.

"Camden, don't get the dog all wound up," he called as he quickly walked towards the front of the house.

"I need a nap," she mumbled before turning to go back into the kitchen.

Her house exploded from there. Her father's arrived first, arms laden with gifts that were meant for both Hanukkah and Christmas. They both smiled when they saw her, wrapping her in big hugs each before moving to take up residence on the couch. Carole and Burt were next and Carole immediately began to fawn over how much her belly had grown in a month while Burt helped Finn get Perry under control and into the basement so he wasn't underfoot. Camden pouted about the loss of his playmate but it quickly disappeared when Hiram asked him to show them what Santa had brought him. Rachel grinned as she watched him proudly show off the three Lego sets that had arrived courtesy of Santa along with the books and other things that Rachel and Finn had gotten him. She went to get everyone something to drink when Finn grabbed her hand and led her over to his recliner.

"I got it babe," he murmured. Her eyes softened as he pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning to grab the glasses of water and wine everyone had requested. She felt herself relax as she sunk into the comfortableness of the old chair, her hands resting on her belly. Camden dropped the book he had been looking at with Hiram and walked over to her with a smile on his face.

"Baby kick?" he asked inquisitively as he held out his hand.

"A little bit," she smiled, taking his hand and pressing where the baby was kicking pretty fiercely. He giggle when he felt it against his palm, smiling up at her.

"Whoa," he gasped, laughing. He turned to look at all of his grandparents. "Baby kickin'!"

Everyone laughed.

Finn came back with the drinks and distributed them before sitting himself in front of the tree. Camden dropped his hand from her belly before finding himself a spot beside Finn. He looked up at him and flopped his arms down before asking, "Presents?"

He looked from Finn to Rachel, before eyeing each of his grandparents.

"The boy wants to open presents," Burt smiled jovially. "I say let's open presents! It's going to take us all afternoon to get through that heap anyway."

The entire family laughed as Finn began to dig through the pile of presents, though most of them were for Camden.

Now she remembered why they had decided to have it here this year. Their parents had spoiled him rotten with toys, clothes and more toys. There were a few gifts for Finn and Rachel each, and even a few small gender neutral things for the baby. She smiled as she held the soft white blanket Carole had given them, rubbing the soft material between her fingers.

"Thank you," she whispered as she passed it to Finn to feel.

"Every baby needs a favourite blanket," Carole winked. "Finn dragged his around until he went to school full time. I couldn't even tell you what colour it was supposed to be it was so dirty and stained by the end..."

"Blue. Mcgeegee was blue, Mom." He shook his head as he looked at Rachel.

"Well sorry!" Carole laughed before turning back to face Rachel.

"Should we give them their gifts now babe?" Finn asked from across the room when the conversation about his childhood blanket had died down.

"Sounds like a good idea," she nodded as Finn went to grab the two gifts they had purchased specifically for their parents.

"You guys didn't have to get us anything," Hiram argued.

"Hush Papa," she grinned as Finn passed them their box. "We'd like it if you guys would open them together. We got you both something similar so..."

Carole and Leroy looked at each other before they both tore off the paper. Finn got up from where he was on the floor to go and kneel beside Rachel's chair and took her hand in his. In each of the boxes that Rachel had wrapped carefully were silver picture frames with family pictures they had taken soon after they had learned the baby was a girl. Both sets of their parents had been on them at different times for new family pictures, so they had both agreed this would be the perfect gift. Except the picture wasn't your traditional family photo. The photographer had taken a beautiful shot of just their feet in one picture, with a pair of white shoes with a floral print and a big pink flower at the buckle between Finn and Camden's sneaker clad feet. The photo was precious and Rachel knew instantly when she saw it in the preview that this is what she was going to use it for. She even got the photographer to send her an early digital copy since the rest of the prints wouldn't be ready until after the holidays.

It was Hiram and Leroy who had taken notice first.

"Rachel?" they both gasped as they looked from her and Finn to Carole and Burt. "Is it..."

Carole and Burt turned to them for confirmation as Carole brought her hand to her mouth.

Rachel nodded as she squeezed his hand. "It's a girl!"

Their living room became a flurry of activity as the family instantly began to excitedly chatter about the baby girl. Rachel smiled as she watched everything happen around her. Her dads were talking with Carole about how much fun it was going to be to have a girl to spoil, about the frilly dresses they were going to buy her and how they should coordinate going shopping. Finn leaned up and kissed her cheek, his hand coming to rest on her bump while she grinned into his kiss. She placed her hand on top of his as they pulled away from each other, rubbing her thumb along his knuckle before he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Rachel..." Hiram called. She snapped out of her gaze and turned to look at him.

"What's that?" She asked. She missed whatever he had said first.

"Dad just asked if you and Finn have thought about names yet..."

* * *

"I think we should name her Finn," Rachel called as she placed the baby name book down beside her on the bed. She stretched her arms over her head as a yawn escaped her lips. The parents had left late, leaving behind a wired Camden. He'd eventually fallen to sleep once Finn had coaxed him to change into his pajamas and relax on the couch to watch The Polar Express. He had been out within the first half an hour of the movie.

Finn popped his head out of the bathroom, his toothbrush hanging out of the side of his mouth.

He pulled it out and gave her a tired smile. "Okay, we can name her." He turned back to head into the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste.

"Or maybe it's too early," she sighed as she ran her hands over her belly. The baby nudged her hand gently while Rachel smiled.

Finn walked into the bedroom, his Christmas pajama pants hanging off his hips as he walked towards the bed.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning her face and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"So let's not name her yet then." When Rachel huffed, Finn knew that was the wrong answer. He tried to divert her attention. "How did you come up with Camden's name?"

She smiled as she ran her fingers over the spine of the book.

_She balanced the thick book on her belly as she felt the baby wiggle inside her. She smiled as she used her free hand to gently rub the side of her stomach.  
"What should your name be, huh?" she whispered quietly as she turned her attention back to the book. "Should you be a Nicholas?" she sighed as she rubbed her stomach. "Nudge when you like one baby, let me know I'm doing something right..." She flipped a few pages that she had tagged with a sticker. "How about Cameron? Do you like that baby?" she sighed. "Andrew? Daniel? Come on baby, I need you to tell me what I'm doing here...What about Camden?"  
And that's when she felt it. A hearty nudge right into her ribs on the right side. "Camden. Camden Nicholas." Another resounding kick just as a smile graced her features. Her son had a name. At least something was going right at the moment._

"He named himself," she whispered. "I was 8 months pregnant and I broke down one night, fed up with waiting to see if Nathan would come crawling back and I named him. I listed off names I had highlighted and the one he kicked to was the name I picked. Camden was the winner," she sighed as she rubbed her belly just as the baby nudged against her hand gently.

Finn crawled onto the bed and rested on his side beside her, his hand coming to rest on her belly between hers. He smiled when he felt the baby move. He noticed the baby name book abandoned beside her and reached over to pick it up, taking notice of the telltale flags she had obviously taken from his school stuff. His wife was nothing less than predictable.

"I'd like it if we came up with a name for her," he whispered as he moved his thumb against her shirt. "It'd be nice to call her something other than baby girl."

"Which we've only been doing for a month," she chuckled. She took one of her hands off her belly and reached over to run her fingers through his hair.

"It could help Camden too, you know," he whispered. "Help with his attachment to the baby." She smiled when he mentioned Camden. She couldn't wait to see him with the baby. She couldn't wait to meet their baby.

"I want to name her," she whispered as she stared at him.

He nodded gently as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Let's see what you've picked..." he smiled as he sat up a little and opened the book.

She bit her lip as she kept her hand on her belly as she looked at him. She was nervous they wouldn't agree. She wasn't used to doing this with someone else; her heart raced at the thought of doing this with him, naming their child. It was something she had always pictured them doing.

"Grier," he read off softly, reaching over and placing his free hand back on her belly.

"I don't know how I feel about that one anymore," she screwed up her nose as she looked at Finn. "It doesn't roll like I thought it would..."

"Alright," he smiled. He flipped the pages before landing on another one."Ayla."

They didn't even have to say anything, the look on both of their faces screamed that it wasn't right.

When they had exhausted most of Rachel's list, they both sat there with a dumbfounded look.

"This is harder than I thought," Finn sighed as he flipped through the pages. "Kennedy. That sounds weird with Hudson. Sounds like an airport," he chuckled.

"Maybe it's too early still," she shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable again. Her hips stiffened a little as she sat there. Finn put the book down and yawned as he looked over at her.

"We'll find the right name for her," he smiled gently. "We still have time."

"I know. Just when our parents asked..." She bit her lip gently, looking down at her hands.

"You know they're just excited," Finn grinned. He leaned over and kissed her head. "We'll find the perfect name for our perfect baby girl."

She smiled once again before adjusting herself once more, moving to lay down on her side.

They kissed before Finn reached over and turned out the lamp on his side of the bed.

In the darkness, Rachel lay awake. She rolled onto her back, blinking up at the ceiling in the darkness. Her hands clasped her belly as she sighed tiredly. She just wanted to sleep, but everything ached and her mind raced. She ran her hands over her belly as she tried to will sleep to come to her. And then one final name idea came to her.

"Finn," she whispered into the dark room. When he didn't respond, she sighed, immediately realizing he had probably fallen asleep already.

"Yeah?" She heard faintly, his voice muffled by the pillow he had buried his face in.

"What about Alice?" she whispered into the dark room. She had passed the name in the book several times and it had never felt right. Until now. The baby instantly nudged against her hand. She chuckled softly. Just like her brother.

"Alice?"He shuffled and sat up, leaning over to turn the light on once more. He turned to look at her, reaching over to place his hand on her belly. He grinned when he felt the baby nudge his hand. "Alice."

Rachel moved her hand on top of his as he leaned over to kiss her softly. "She feels like an Alice." She grinned as the baby kicked against their joined hands before leaning into him. "Alice Hudson." She heard him whisper as he untangled their hands and moved his over her belly in soothing circles. "Perfect," he added after a moment. "Just like her."

* * *

_**So she has a name! Fina**__****l****__******ly! ******_


	9. February 2028

**A/N: So I've decided to break my "new" rule and not wait until I'm finished the next chapter to post this one. Mainly because I've been working on a one shot that's kind of been consuming my thoughts, and I've also been anxious to post this! So you get a treat!**

**Once again I have to thank my twitter posse, Sara specifically for checking and double checking this entire story over and over.**

**I don't own anyone from glee, any coincidence is merely that, coincidence. I only own Camden, the plot and I guess Alice now haha.**

**And as always, reviews are loved and appreciated. But only if they're positive or constructive. Hate is never tolerated or welcome.**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9  
**_February 2028_

Rachel slowly made her way down the much too long staircase of her house just as the doorbell rang. She blew out a breath as she placed her hand on her back.

"Finn? Are you expecting anyone babe?" she called upstairs just as she reached the door. The doorbell rang once more just as she reached the handle. She rolled her eyes, waiting a moment before opening the door to find Carole and Burt on the other side. "Oh. Hi. Did I...did I know you were coming?"

"I called them." She turned around in time to watch Finn run down the staircase in a fraction of the time that she made it down. She envied his mobility as his arm wrapped around her waist. Alice gave a hearty kick against his hand, getting excited just at the sound of Finn's voice. She was quite the Daddy's girl and she wasn't even born yet. "We're going out tonight."

Rachel immediately groaned at the idea of going out. She looked down at her belly just as another blow was delivered right under her ribs, what body part it was she wasn't sure. She was dressed in loose yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt that actually used to belong to Finn. She felt miserable and she was sure she looked the part as well. She sucked in a breath before trying to smile at her in-laws.

"Why don't you guys come in," she grimaced as she pushed Finn's hand off her belly in an effort to get the baby to stop kicking her.

She tugged Finn's hand to keep him back after his parents toed off their shoes and shrugged off their coats.

"Why didn't you tell me they were coming?" she sighed as she dropped his hand."I'm really not in the mood to go out tonight Finn, Alice is kicking the crap out of me and my back..."

"Shhh," he placed a finger on her lips, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead before pressing another one to her nose and then her lips. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. We're just going away for the night and..."

"The night?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Finn, we have too much to do and we were going to paint..." She pouted.

"We can paint the nursery tomorrow. The walls and containers of paint will still be there." He ran his fingers through her hair as he stared down at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. "It's only for the night. We'll be back just after breakfast and we aren't going very far. Promise."

She searched his eyes for a minute as he continued to caress her hair before moving his hand to her cheek. "It's the last time it's probably going to be just us going away for awhile. We need this..." he paused. "Plus, next weekend is Cam's birthday party. I want to spoil my girls."

Her features softened as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips just as Camden came stomping up the stairs, squealing when he found Carole and Burt in the living room.

"I guess I should go pack..."

He gently pulled her against him as close as he could by her hips. "I got you covered. Just...get your shoes on or something..."

"I'm going to change," she said softly.

"If you must," he tugged on the shirt she was wearing. "I kind of think you look pretty cute just like this..."

She smiled as she planted a kiss on his cheek before heading for the stairs. "I'll be ready to go in 15 minutes."

"You can have 30," he winked as he watched her retreat. Her giggle was music to his ears. He blew out a breath as he walked into the living room to talk to his parents. Her hormones were going to be the death of him.

* * *

Finn pressed his hand to the small of her back as he led her into the lobby of the Cincinnatian Hotel. It was one of the most upscale hotels in the heart of Cincinnati and it was perfect for what he wanted to do for Rachel. He wanted to spoil her and this hotel allowed him to do just that. He just wanted a romantic night away with his heavily pregnant wife before their lives hit warp speed. As it was, school, work and Camden's obligations and appointments were filling up their time. He couldn't remember the last time they just _spent_ time together without interruption. Being parents did that to you, he supposed. And they were about to add a newborn to the mix in just ten short weeks.

"Oh Finn," she sighed as they walked into the lobby and towards the check in desk. He smiled as they stood in line to check in. She turned into him and pulled his face down to press a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled against her mouth just before they moved forward. He kept a firm hand on the small of her back as they approached the counter. "Reservation for Hudson," he smiled again. "Finn Hudson."

The woman at the desk smiled as she typed the information into her computer, smiling at the couple in front of her. "Here you are Mr. Hudson, you and your wife will be in room 410. The elevators are just to your left and I hope we have prepared your room to your specifications." She gave them both a friendly smile as Finn signed a check in receipt before pushing a pamphlet towards them. "Here's a list of local restaurants, you'll find the room service menu in your room. Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you."

"Thank you," Finn smiled as he took hold of the handle of their suitcase and taking Rachel's hand in his other one.

* * *

He smiled at her as they rode the elevator up to their floor. She wasn't paying attention, but once she turned to look his direction she blushed, looking down at her hands that were folded on her belly.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as her blush spread.

The door dinged before she had a chance to respond and Finn gently guided her off the elevator and towards their room.

"My love," he smiled as he slid the key card into the door. When the door was open, he gestured for Rachel to enter first. He knew the room was set up to his specifications when he heard the gasp escape her lips.

"Baby," she murmured as she turned around to look at him.

Unlit candles had been strategically placed all over the spacious room. Rose petals were scattered from the entrance of the room to the bed, and towards what both Rachel and Finn could only assume was the bathroom. He walked up to her as she turned back to the room and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was gentle not to put too much pressure on her back, instead pulling her against him so she could lean into him. The sigh she emitted was enough for his ears.

Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt tears brim her eyes as looked around the room, taking in everything from the candles to the rose petals. She turned in his arms, making him support her back as she pressed closer to him, leaning her face into his chest. The tears poured out of her eyes when she pressed her face into the familiar wool of his dress jacket. She felt silly crying; her hormones were out of control right now and she just couldn't keep them in. She felt the rumble of Finn's chuckle all the way down to his chest as his large hand came to cup the back of her head.

"Don't cry babe," he chuckled as he pulled her away. He tilted her chin up to look at her in the eye. She knew the makeup she had put on was running, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"I can't help it," she whimpered. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he smiled as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away he used his thumbs to wipe the tears from under her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before Rachel abruptly pulled away.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I have to pee."

Finn chuckled as he let her go, watching her walk towards the door the rose petals led to. He picked up the handle of the suitcase he had brought in and rolled it over with him to the bed. He was just pulling out the two small gifts he had brought with him as the door to the bathroom opened.

"Finn, you should see the tub..." Rachel gushed as she walked back into the main room, her eyes zeroing in on where he was sitting on the bed. "What's this..."

He smiled as he patted the bed beside him. "Come here..."

She took a tentative step towards him and sat down on the bed beside him. She grunted as she slid herself back on the bed a little, her hand coming to rest on her large bump.

"What's this?" she repeated quietly as she took in the few wrapped gifts he had placed between them.

"It's your Valentine's Day gift...well gifts," he chuckled.

"Finn," she whimpered again. "This..." she gestured to the room around them. "was enough..."

He smiled the crooked half smile that she loved so much as he took her hand. "They're just some small things that I thought you deserved," he sighed. "Plus, they kind of tie into the whole 'night away' thing I was going for this weekend..."

She smiled softly as he picked up one of the bigger boxes and gently tore at the pink paper he had carefully wrapped it in. "When did you have the time to do all this?" she asked quietly.

"I have my ways," he smirked.

She pulled open the box to reveal a gorgeous black nightie with turquoise cups, a black lace overlay over them.

"Finn," she breathed. She pulled it out and stretched it out in front of her. It was gorgeous and she was impressed Finn had picked it out. He had good taste, and had bought her lingerie before but this blew her mind. Because it showed he cared.

"It goes with this," he murmured as he passed her another box. She eyed him suspiciously as she took it from him after putting the nightie down.

Inside this box, was a gorgeous black silk robe to match the nightie.

"I know you haven't been feeling quite yourself the last few weeks," he murmured as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I originally set out to buy you a new dress, or something to wear to dinner tonight but as soon as I walked into the store this," he gestured to the nightie she had set on her knee "caught my eye. And I knew I had to get it for you. You're beautiful Rachel and I just wanted you to feel as beautiful as you look through my eyes. You're pregnant with our daughter and I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it but that alone is the most beautiful thing in the world. And I know most days it's hard because well, she's a Hudson, but baby I am so proud of you..."

The tears poured down her cheeks as she listened to the words slip from his lips. She didn't have the words to respond, he always just got it. She looked down at her belly, which had exploded even more so over the last few weeks. A punch to her side broke her trance, causing her to rub her hand over the spot.

"You always know how to make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she murmured. She looked over at him, her eyes fusing with his for a moment. "I don't think I've ever thanked you for that."

"Being loved by you is all the thanks I need," he smiled. He stood up and held out both of his hands to her. "Now come on, I hear the restaurant downstairs has the best cherry cheesecake money can buy."

"You had me at cherry, Mr. Hudson."

* * *

Rachel felt deliciously full as they walked back to the hotel room. She laughed as Finn made a joke, his hand caressing her hip as he did too. They had enjoyed a special dinner down in the hotel restaurant, right down to the cherry cheesecake he had promised. Alice kicked excitedly in her stomach after she had ate the delicious treat.

"Did you enjoy yourself babe?" he asked quietly as they approached their door. They had stayed as a live band started up, listening to a few songs before Finn suggested they head back up to their room for a romantic evening for two.

"I did," she smiled gently. "Everything has just been..." she paused thoughtfully as they arrived at their door. Finn fished for the key card from his back pocket. "...perfect."

He smiled as he opened the door to the room and led her inside. As she moved into the room he watched her with a close eye as he threw down his key card and wallet on the table before walking over to his suitcase one more time as she slipped off her shoes. He pulled out a bottle of her favourite bubble bath before going over to her and gently wrapping his arm around her waist. She relaxed into him almost immediately and sighed as his nose nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

"How does a bath sound?" he whispered into her ear.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into him. He dropped the bottle of bubble bath on the ground as his other hand grasped her waist, pulling her into him. No other words were exchanged as Rachel let out a breathy whimper as he gently kissed down her neck, leaving wet marks as he trailed down to the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

Rachel couldn't help but let a soft moan escape her lips. It had been so long since he had touched her like this, so long since they had the time to really love on each other. If nothing more, it felt good just to be touched.  
She had been feeling more or less like a human incubator in the last few weeks and in a matter of hours, Finn had already made her feel better than she has in weeks. He pulled at the strap of the dress she wore, baring her shoulder as his hands continued to trail down her body. When his hand grazed her breast, she whimpered when the sensation became too much.

"Sorry," he whispered as he pulled away. She whimpered again, this time from the loss of the pressure having his body so close had created. She turned around and bit her lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll go start the bath." He picked up the forgotten bottle of bubble bath on the ground before gently kissing her head as he headed towards the bathroom.

She sighed as she watched him go, turning to sit down on the bed. The nightie he had bought her caught her eye. She bit her lip as she picked it up, rubbing the material between her fingers for a moment. She could hear him humming as the water ran, and she pictured him moving around the bathroom getting everything ready. She took a moment to strip her clothes and slipped the soft material of the nightie over her overworked body. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that sat on the desk and nodded to herself in approval. It would do.

"Wow," she heard him gasp. She turned around to face him, looking down at her feet as she did so. He walked over towards her, gently nudging her chin when he was close enough. "I was wrong."

Her head shot up when he whispered those words. Her lip trembled and instinct told her to pull away. Wrong? Did she look horrible? Was she wrong?

"I thought you would look good in this," he tugged at the hem of the nightie. "but baby you look...absolutely breathtaking."

Her heart hammered in her chest as she allowed herself to look up at him. The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. His eyes darkened as he pulled her as close as he could given her large bump, his hands winding around her waist to grab her backside in his hands, groaning as he did so. He let go, turning her around so her back was to her making her skin more easily accessible to him. She was melting in his arms and she was powerless to stop it, not that she wanted to.

* * *

He had to refill the bathtub later on when they were finally ready to use it. The water, he said, had turned ice cold while they had made love on the bed. He left her in the main room while he attended to the bath and Rachel let her eyes flutter closed as memories of their activities filled her mind. For the first time in a long time, she felt sexy, wanted, alive even in her own body. Finn made her feel desirable and loved with just the way he looked at her. The way he had touched her and held her as he made love to her for the first time in weeks made her heart race.

"You ready?" he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the frame. Neither of them had bothered to get redressed, so a smirk danced on her lips as she took in his very naked form. If it was possible, her husband had gotten even better looking with age. He grinned equally as she shuffled out of bed and joined him at the threshold of the bathroom. He let her by, whistling as he gazed at her and his hand reached out to pinch her butt. She chuckled before he moved quickly towards her to help her into the warm water of the bathtub. She waited for him to step in behind her before she reclined. She softly whimpered as she relaxed into his chest. Finn pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she closed her eyes. Rachel inhaled the soft scent of the bubble bath he had used, smiling at the familiarity of her favourite soap.  
They were quiet, each of them basking in their own thoughts. Finn's hands covered the sides of her belly as his thumbs gently stroked against her skin. If she wasn't careful, he was going to lull her to sleep. But it was Finn's humming that broke the silence. She kept her eyes closed as the rubbing of his thumbs became more insistent. She didn't recognize the song, but as she laid against his chest and the rumbling spread to his chest, a calm smile spread over her features.

"I love you," he whispered against her head when he finished humming the song.

She opened her eyes slowly and moved her head just as he leaned down to press a kiss to her head again, this time his lips met her neck. She blinked tiredly up at him, a peaceful smile on her face.

"I love you too," she paused. He stared down at her as he held her tightly yet gently at the same time. "thank you...for this."

"No need to thank me," he whispered as he lifted one hand to push her hair to the side. "I should be thanking you." His other hand made another trail on her belly.

"You don't have to thank me," she shook her head. "I'm excited to meet her. I feel like I've loved her my entire life."

"Me too," he murmured. "I can't wait to see what color her eyes are, or whose hair she's going to have. If she'll have your gorgeous nose or mine. She's going to be the most loved little girl in the entire world."

"I can't wait to see you with her..." Rachel sighed. "My big, strong handsome man with a newborn."

"I hope I don't drop her," he admitted hesitantly.

"You won't drop her. You haven't dropped Cam, ever..."

"It was different with Cam. He was already... less fragile when I met him," he chuckled. "You did the hard part with him. I just..."

"Saved the day," she whispered. "You're going to be fine with Alice. I promise."

They both chuckled when Alice gave a slight nudge to where Finn's hand rested. "She knows we're talking about her."

"Hi baby girl," Finn whispered as he leaned his head over Rachel's shoulder completely, his hands widening over her belly. "You having a good time in there?" Another kick gave them all the answer he needed. "You are so loved sweetheart." Rachel leaned back against him as he pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before continuing to talk to Alice. "You just wait until you get out of there." Rachel chuckled as Alice gave a particularly hard kick."You're going to have more hugs than you're going to know what to do with. Starting with the ones your brother is going to give you..."

When the water once again turned ice cold, Finn helped Rachel out of the tub. She redressed in the nightie Finn had bought her and met him back on the bed after he drained the bath.

"Night babe," he pressed a kiss to her lips softly before breaking away. "I love you."

"Love you too," she whispered.

But sleep didn't come easily. It seemed like Alice was intent on wiggling around inside, probably in some desperate attempt to get comfortable with the limited space she had left. She laid on her left side, her hand rubbing constant circles on her stomach. She eyed the clock on her side of the bed, and as minutes ticked passed the more agitated she became with her lack of sleep. She rolled onto her other side to find Finn sleeping peacefully on his back. She envied his ability to sleep on his back, and sleep entirely. Finally she gave up and reached over to shake Finn's arm softly.

"Mmmm..." he groaned in his sleep.

"Finn," she whined. "Please wake up for a minute."

"Wasswrong," he mumbled.

"I can't sleep, I can't get comfortable," she whined. "Alice is having a dance party and I just..." she huffed as his eyes opened and focused on her. "Will you sing to her? She calms down when you sing..."

A slow smile crossed his sleepy features as he scooted closer to her. "Get comfy." She smiled gratefully at him as she moved as close as she could, slinging her left leg over his hip as he pulled her as close as he could. Sometimes, when not even her pregnancy pillow would help her sleep, there was nothing like cuddling close to her husband. There wasn't anything sexual about the position , she couldn't explain it. That and the soothing tone of Finn's voice often not only lulled Alice to sleep but her as well.

"_oh, her eyes her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining, her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying, she's so beautiful. And I tell her every day..." _  
She leaned her head on her pillow as Finn used one arm to pull her closer, the other trailing down to press a calming hand to her stomach. Her eyes drifted closed just as Finn's soft voice hit the chorus.

* * *

After a delicious breakfast in the restaurant downstairs, Finn left Rachel at the front doors to go and grab their car from where they had parked it down the street. She smiled as she thought to herself what a wonderful weekend they had had together. She watched out the glass of the door for their car. When she saw it coming she opened the front door, pulling her coat tighter around her torso. She tentatively took a step onto the concrete, noting the snow on the ground. What she didn't see was the thin sheet of ice that lay beneath the snow on the next step. Until it was too late.

Finn was just pulling up to the curb when he saw her fall.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath as he threw the car into park. He had asked her to wait inside when he saw the snow on the ground. He didn't want her to walk to the car where they had parked it because of the cold. He should've known she would be impatient. During breakfast she talked about getting home to Camden as soon as possible. He should've known she would see him coming and want to meet him. He cursed her independence, but cursed his mind as well for not seeing this happening ahead of time.

Rachel felt tears rise in her eyes as she sat up on the pavement. She wasn't sure what the tears were for, embarrassment that she, a grown 33 year old woman had just slipped on ice, or the trauma that she could've just harmed her baby.

"Baby," Finn's voice met her ears as he rushed over to where she was sitting. She had fallen forward, her hands taking most of the impact against the ground as she braced herself.

"Are you okay? I told you to wait inside!" His voice was rushed, the worry evident. He reached out a hand to help her up off the ground.

"I'm..." she sighed, her free hand rubbing the bottom of her belly. "I'm okay. Just scraped my hands a little." Finn pulled her closer to him, his heart racing a mile a minute. "I'm okay. I just want to go home."

"You fell," he said softly. "I want to get you looked at..."

"I'm fine," she sighed, pulling away from him a little. "Just embarrassed. I just want to go home..."

"Rachel, you fell almost on your stomach..." He looked up and silently cursed the worker who was out salting the few steps Rachel had just slipped down, now.

"Please Finn. Nothing hurts. I just want to go home. Please," her voice cracked as she looked up at him. He clutched her face in both of his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

Against his better judgement, he nodded his head and led her to the car. When she was safely inside he got in himself. Once she was sitting safely he gestured for her to show him her hands.

"They're just a little scraped," she whispered as he held them up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to each of her palms. She let out a shuddered breath as she placed them on her belly when he let them go.

"I still would like it if you got checked out," he whispered. "Just to be safe."

"Finn," her voice was weary. "I'm going to call Dr. Bartholomew's office. See what she says."

He nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. She smiled gently as she pulled her phone out of her purse before dialing the number.

He watched her intently as she spoke into the phone, describing what happened to her through the phone. Rachel clicked end on the phone call before turning to look at Finn. "The doctor on call is going to get in touch with her and call us back." Rachel chewed her lip as her mind raced. She was going back and forth about whether to get Finn to take her to the hospital. She felt fine, her hands ached but that came with being scraped. When she looked over at Finn she could see the worry on his face, and was about to say something about it when her phone rang from the dashboard. She hurriedly grabbed it to answer, knowing it was probably Dr. Bartholomew.

She smiled when she saw she was right, answering it quickly to get her doctor's advice. She knew Finn wouldn't move the car until they knew where they were going.

"Yes, Dr. Bartholomew. Just my hands are scraped, but nothing else hurts. The baby has been quiet already this morning...yes...I will. Thank you." She closed the phone before turning to Finn. "She said it sounds like I'm okay, but if anything changes to call her immediately. She said to pay attention to the baby's movements when she wakes up," she chewed her lip as she put the phone down before rubbing her belly. He nodded at her words, his own hand coming to rest on her belly for a moment. They smiled at each other for a moment. Finn breathed a sigh of relief before turning the key in the ignition and starting off for home.

* * *

No sooner had Finn opened the door from the garage to let Rachel in first, they were ambushed by an excited Camden.

"Whoa Pal, careful with Mommy," Finn chided softy as he gently got between Rachel and Camden.

"Finn, I'm fine..." she whispered. "How's my handsome boy? Did you miss us?" She smiled as she looked down at Camden, resting her hand on his hair.

"Mommy, we maded cookies!" Camden grinned as he tugged on the bottom of her shirt. "Come sees!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed as she let him tug her into the kitchen. She followed him into the kitchen, smiling when she saw Carole bent over the oven pulling out another batch of cookies.

"You guys are back early," Carole smiled as she stood up and looked at Rachel. "Did you guys have a good night?"

"We did, until this one decided to fall down the stairs of the hotel..." Finn started as he came up behind her. Rachel sighed as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"What?" Carole dropped the tray of cookies on the cooling rack as she moved around Camden to get to Rachel. "You fell? Are you..."

"I'm fine. Just embarrassed that I didn't see the ice I slipped on..." she mumbled as Carole gently took her hands, turning them over to see the scrapes. She winced when Carole gently brushed the scrape.

"Mommy okay?" Camden asked as he reached onto the counter for a cookie. Finn moved around them to help him get one down.

"Mommy's okay. Why don't you take another cookie to Papa in the living room," Finn suggested, giving him another cookie. Camden grinned before taking Finn's advice and going to find Burt. Carole continued to give Rachel a once over.

"I'm okay Carole, just shocked. I promise." Rachel smiled. "Nothing hurts except my hands and I already called Dr. Bartholomew to see what she suggested..."

"And what did she say?"

"To call if anything changes. And nothing has changed." She chewed her lip before she ran her fingers through her hair. "Now if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go change out of these clothes and start some laundry..."

Both Carole and Finn watched as she left the kitchen, her left hand reaching back to support her.

Carole turned to Finn and pointed a finger at him. "You need to watch her."

"I am Mom. I will." Finn promised.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Rachel tried to take a nap while Finn attempted to make progress on a paper he had to get done. Camden was content playing with his toys in the basement. But sleep, once again alluded her. She tossed and turned as best as she could, moving her pillow every which way to try and get comfortable. Her back ached and her hands hurt from the fall earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she rolled over again, laying on her left before placing her hand on her belly. She tried to rub comforting circles on her belly and it suddenly came to her.

Alice hadn't moved in awhile.

She instantly sat up, using both of her hands to clutch the sides of her belly.

"Wake up baby girl," she whispered as she moved her hands around her belly in constant movements. "Come on, kick for Mommy..." she sighed. "Kick for Mommy baby..."  
She waited a few beats, moving her hands over and over.

When the baby didn't kick, panic started to set in.  
"FINN!"

The moment he heard her voice, Finn knew something was wrong. He threw his laptop to the side on the couch before running for the stairs. He quickly made his way towards their bedroom, opening the door as he heard Rachel call his name frantically again.

"Rach?" He skidded to a stop beside the bed, sitting down beside her just as tears erupted in her eyes.

"Finn..." she whimpered."Finn, she's not moving."

Finn swallowed hard as he looked over at her. He instantly placed his hand on her belly, filling in the space she had left.

"We need to call Dr. Bartholomew." Her voice shook as the words left her mouth.

* * *

He didn't even have to finish his sentence. Dr. Bartholomew cut him off, and insisted that they meet her at the office immediately. He tried not to panic at the insistence in her voice. He didn't want to alarm Camden and he didn't want to scare Rachel anymore than she already was. He swallowed his fear as he got Camden into the car and helped Rachel with her seatbelt. Her hands hadn't moved from her belly, tears in her eyes as she quietly sang to the baby, trying anything to get her to move. He didn't want her to see him shaking, but it was becoming harder by the moment. He knew he should've taken her in immediately to the hospital like he had thought. But Dr. Bartholomew and Rachel had been so sure everything was okay. He just prayed nothing was wrong.

Rachel was having a really hard time holding it together. She tried everything to get the baby to move, singing the lullaby she had sung from the moment she knew she was pregnant. Nothing was working, and she was feeling her resolve slipping. Even Camden was quiet in the backseat, she was sure he could tell something was wrong. She knew she could feel it in the atmosphere.

They got to the office quickly and Finn threw the car into park. "Come on, let's go..."

He helped her out of the car and she started walking to the building while he helped Camden out. The tears streamed down her cheeks as he held the door open for her and Dr. Bartholomew met them in the lobby.

The older woman smiled slightly at the three of them, leading them immediately into an exam room where the ultrasound machine was already set up.

"Everything's going to be okay," she tried to soothe as Rachel laid on the table. "We'll get a peek at your little girl and see what's going on..."

"Alice," Rachel sighed. "We named her Alice."

Dr. Bartholomew smiled. "Let's check on Alice, then."

Finn held her hand while the blue gel was applied to her belly, and the wand moved around. Neither of them could take their eyes off of the screen as Alice came in to focus.

Tears streamed down Rachel's cheeks as she took in the image in front of her. It took her breath away each time they saw her on the screen, and it had been awhile since the last ultrasound had been when they found out she was, in fact, a she. She took in the image Alice on the screen and she could physically feel her heart swell.

The sound of a strong heartbeat filled the room suddenly as Dr. Bartholomew turned up the volume on the machine. As it did, Rachel felt her heart relax. She felt Finn squeeze her hand tightly before kissing her urgently on the mouth. She felt his tears slip onto her cheeks. She chuckled into the kiss as she felt a strong jab to the side of her ribs.

"There she is," Dr. Bartholomew smiled. "She looks good. Strong and healthy. She was probably just having a lazy day. The fall could've shocked her, but as you're hearing and seeing she is good to go. She looks perfect."

The tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she stared at the image of her daughter. She swallowed hard as she gave Dr. Bartholomew a watery smile. "Can I have a picture?"

"Of course," she smiled before turning to the computer and clicking a few buttons. Finn grabbed a tissue from the counter and gently leaned over to wipe the blue gel off her stomach before pressing a kiss to her belly.

"You're probably going to be sore for a few days, so just take it easy for the rest of the weekend and throughout the week," Dr. Bartholomew smiled after the pictures were printed.

"That's not anything new for me," Rachel chuckled slightly as she pulled her shirt down and got Finn to help her sit up. "But I will. Finn will make sure I do."

He laughed softly before pressing a kiss to her head. "It's my job."

* * *

That night, long after both Rachel and Camden had gone to bed Finn tried desperately to work on the paper he had coming due for his class. But instead of focusing on the document in front of him, his attention was drawn to his sleeping wife beside him. He smiled as he watched her blow out a breath as she shifted gently in her sleep. Since they had gotten into bed, her left hand had refused to leave her belly. He finally put the laptop down after a few more minutes of staring at the screen, he hadn't added any words and it was clear he wasn't going to get anything done tonight. He settled his head on the pillow and lay down on his side. He faced Rachel and just looked at her for a minute before placing his hand on her belly. He smiled when he felt Alice nudge against his hand.

"You better not wake up your Mommy," he chuckled softly as he moved down so that his head was level with her belly. He rubbed his thumb across where the nudge had happened, smiling when another stronger one came. "Alice Hudson..." he chuckled. His voice quieted when he saw the impression of her foot press against Rachel's skin. "you and Mommy really scared Daddy today," he whispered softly. "But I'm so glad you're okay princess. I don't know what I would've done if something had happened to you or Mommy. She's not usually such a klutz, usually that's my job," he chuckled. "Now just stay in there until it's time, okay? And go to sleep! You need your rest so you can grow big and strong and meet us out here." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Rachel's bump. "I love you so much Alice. You, your brother, and your Mom mean the world to me."

* * *

_**Thoughts?**_


	10. February 2028 Pt 2

**Hello! **  
**I don't know if you guys realize this but we're coming pretty close to the end. After this there is one more chapter, plus an epilogue. Sad, right? But for now, enjoy these last few moments with our favourite family! **

**Thanks to Sara and my twitter posse for being awesome. I still don't own glee. But I do own Camden, Nathan and any original characters that appear. Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 10_  
February 2028_

Her baby was turning 8. Rachel chewed her lip as she looked across the table, watching intently as Camden dug into his pile of eggs that were on his plate. He was chatting happily with Finn, his voice clear and excited about what they were going to do today. Him, Finn and Burt, along with Nathan who was in town for Camden's birthday were heading out for a bit of a boys day. They were heading into Columbus just after lunch time to catch a Columbus Blue Jackets game at the arena. Camden had really taken an interest in hockey in the last few months, and the tickets had been part of his birthday gift from Finn and Rachel. She smiled as she watched him getting excited as some eggs slipped from his mouth.

"Swallow first, than talk Pal," Finn chuckled as he scooped some of his own eggs into his mouth.

Camden grinned as he swallowed the mouthful of food he had before speaking once more. "Will I get puck Daddy?"

Finn smiled as he stared at Camden before ruffling his hair. "We'll see Pal. I'm not making any promises but we'll try."

Camden blinked at him for a moment before smiling and turning back to the eggs on his plate.  
Rachel smiled across the table at Finn before going back to her own plate of food and finishing up.

They finished up eating, Rachel standing up to clear the table as Camden scrambled up the stairs to get dressed for the day, shrieking about getting his jersey on; another gift from them.

"I can clear the table babe," Finn smiled gently as he stood up from his chair.

"I got it," she smiled."Didn't you say you wanted to catch a shower? I can handle this," she held up Camden's plate before turning on her heel.

Truth was, she kind of wanted him out of her way for a few minutes and the shower would do just that. She was tired, and feeling a little emotional about everything that was going on. She always got a little nostalgic around Camden's birthday, and this year was no different. Blame it on her pregnancy hormones that were in full swing, but Finn's overly attentive nature since she had slipped down the steps of the hotel last weekend was kind of starting to wear her down. She loved him, and she knew he meant well - she was just really looking forward to having a bit of time to herself today - especially after the chaos of the birthday party yesterday.

They had held the huge party at the local jungle gym, mainly for the sheer fact that having it somewhere else was easier as there was little clean up involved along with the fact that their house was not nearly big enough to accommodate the majority of their extended family all the time, let alone the class full of kids Camden had invited.

It had gone well, she had loved watching Camden run around and play with his friends. She saw how easily he jumped from friend to friend, each of them clicking with him well. She loved seeing him in action with his friends. She had been scared a long time ago, when she had first brought him home, that his life would be hard. That people wouldn't accept him for the amazing boy he would and had become. But she had been scared for nothing. Camden was a social butterfly now that he had come out of his shell. He had blossomed and she was so glad she had been wrong all those years ago. The party had been a success, but it had taken a lot out of Rachel, as her body was still achy from the fall and Alice had really been excited by the cake, ice cream and pizza she had eaten during the party.

She rinsed the dishes off just as the doorbell rang at the front of the house. She closed the door before pressing start just as Camden's thundering feet came flying down the stairs.

"I got it Mommy," he squealed.

"Camden! Do not open that door!" She called as she wiped her hands on the dish towel before heading after him.

She found him standing at the front door, looking up at her with his bright blue eyes with his hands jammed in the pocket of the Columbus Blue Jackets sweater he wore. The grin on his face told her exactly how excited he was. She blew out a breath as she opened the door, revealing Nathan on the other side.

"Uncle Nathan!" Camden exclaimed as Nathan stepped into the house. She watched with a tight smile on her face as Nathan wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Over the years, Nathan had kept in constant contact with Rachel and Finn, about Camden especially. He tried to make it out for every birthday, and if he couldn't make it on that weekend specifically he usually made it within the few days around it. A friendship of sorts had developed between Finn and Nathan, born out of the understanding that Finn was the best choice for both Camden and Rachel. That, and the fact that three years ago Nathan had met and married a wonderful paralegal named Mallory. And in the last year they had welcomed their first child, Jackson. All three of them had been at the party yesterday until Jackson became too cranky.

"Hey Rachel," Nathan smiled as he ruffled Camden's hair. "Hey Cam,"

Rachel smiled as she closed the door behind him. She followed Camden and Nathan into the house, Camden leading the way as he pulled Nathan to the living room. She laughed when she saw Camden pulling him to where he had stored the Lego he had received yesterday. It had taken Finn and Rachel a good half an hour last night to pull him away from the building set that he had gotten for his birthday, eventually lulling him away with the promise that he could continue tomorrow. And continue he had. Now he was proudly showing Nathan the Batcave set he had started to put together.

She stood back and watched the two of them interacting. Nathan was patient, listening intently as Camden explained in his broken language how he had put it together, smiling big when he proclaimed which spots Finn had helped him with. She got a warm feeling as she watched them together. She was grateful, that they had been able to be adults all those years ago, and she had allowed Nathan to be in their lives. She had once thought her son would never have a father, and now he had one great father and one pretty great pseudo-uncle as well. Nathan was clearly enjoying the one on one time with Camden as he was with him.

"I see he's hit the Lego again," came Finn's voice from the other end of the living room. Rachel lifted her head and smiled when she saw him come into the room more. He approached Nathan and Camden first, tussling Camden's hair before extending his hand out to Nathan. "Good to see you again, man."

Nathan shook his hand before standing up. "You too."

"No Mallory?" Finn asked as he made his way over to where Rachel was standing. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently patted her bump as Alice kicked.

"She's just outside in the car," he sighed as he stood up. "Jack was screaming the car ride over here from the hotel and she wanted to get him calm before she came in the house," he stated. "He's off his schedule and neither her or him do well when that happens,". Both Finn and Rachel smiled, albeit Rachel did it a little tensely. She had been there, the parent with the screaming child. She wondered how Mallory felt being left alone out there.

"I can see the wheels turning Rachel," Nathan sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. "She kicked me out of the car..."

She nodded, leaning into Finn. who gave her a small smile.

A small tap on the door alerted the group to Mallory's presence. Nathan left Camden with his Lego to go and get the door, returning afterwards with Mallory and Jackson in tow.

Mallory was a petit woman who was no taller than Rachel with fire engine red hair. The baby in her arms shared a majority of her features, but had the same shockingly blue eyes that belonged to Nathan. And Camden.

Her and Mallory were going to spend the day together. She bit her lip as she looked at the woman, suddenly self conscious of the big belly at the front of her body. It was rare that they had alone time together in the past three years, and Rachel was a little nervous. But it would be rude to not spend time with her, since Nathan was leaving her behind to spend time with Finn and Camden.

"Rachel? Earth to Rachel!" Finn chuckled as he patted her hip. She shook her head of her thoughts and turned to her husband.

"Sorry, what's that?"

"I said we're going to take one of our cars to the game. That way you guys can have the rental if you guys end up going out with Jackson." She met Mallory's eyes across the room and nodded.

"Sounds great." She smiled.

It wasn't much longer before the boys got ready to go. Rachel smiled as Camden shoved his feet in his boots and tugged on his coat. He had been raring to go since his head had left his pillow this morning. It was all he could talk about and Rachel was thrilled to see him so excited. She knew part of that was because Nathan had come to his party and was spending the day with him. It was also because he was getting so much undivided attention. She could see the excitement on his face, and that alone made her so happy. So much was changing around him, and she was so glad they could make his birthday so incredibly special.

She walked back into the living room after seeing the boys out to the car. Alice kicked heartily inside of her as she made her way back to the room. Rachel smiled gently when she crossed the threshold, watching Mallory gently bounce the infant she held on her knee.

"Can I get you something to drink?" She asked after a minute of watching the two together.

Mallory looked away from the baby and offered her a small smile.

"Sure. That would be great."

"Is water okay? I think we still have some pop..."

"Water is great. Thank you."

Rachel nodded and went to grab the water.

When she returned, she handed the glass carefully to Mallory before sitting down beside her.

They sat there quietly together, each of them soaking in the silence. The only noise was the babbling of the 9 month old, who was happily squealing while chewing on a teething toy. Rachel smiled at the little boy, watching as he grinned back at her.

"He's quite the happy boy," she commented as her own hands ran over her bump.

"He can be," Mallory laughed. "You didn't hear him in the car on the way here. I'm really surprised either me or Nathan aren't deaf."

"I remember those days. Camden used to scream loud enough to wake the dead. I always felt like someone was going to think I was abusing him. Half the time I was just trying to change his diaper."

Mallory smiled. "I don't know how you did it. Half the time I'm counting down the minutes until Nathan comes home, just so I can have a break."

Rachel's eyes fell to where her hands were running over her bump. She chewed her lip. "I just did it. I was all he had,"

She saw the immediate regret on Mallory's face when the last word left her lips. "Crap. Rachel, I didn't mean..."

Rachel shrugged in response. "It's not your fault. You got the new and improved Nathan. I got the run for the hills Nathan, but the amazing Finn. We're both with who we're supposed to be with and I've made my peace with that..."

"It was still insensitive," she sighed as she adjusted Jackson in her arms. "I think you're brave, you know. I don't know what I would have done if I was in your position."

Rachel smiled gently. "You do what you have to do. I think things turned out pretty well despite how they started."

Mallory nodded as Jackson grabbed for a long piece of her hair and pulled. She gently unclenched his fist from around it before reaching over to give him a toy she had brought with her.

"Are you all ready for your new little one?"she questioned when the baby was thoroughly distracted. Changing the subject seemed like a good enough idea.

Rachel responded with a hearty laugh. "Not even close. We've painted her nursery, that's it. It's been hard this time to get myself going on putting things together. I know it needs to be done, and it will get done. I think on that front I'm a little more relaxed because I have someone else by my side this time. Plus, this pregnancy has taken a lot out of me and just when I was really getting in the swing of things I stupidly tripped down the stairs at the hotel Finn took me to last weekend. He's barely let me lift a finger since." She chuckled, rubbing her belly. "I'm actually surprised he left me here with you."

"Is he excited?"

"So excited. It took a lot to get me on the same level, but now that I can feel her moving, we've had ultrasounds where we've really gotten to see her face and her tiny hands, I feel like I can truly enjoy these last few weeks of being pregnant and truly be excited to have her with us. I just can't wait to meet her now, see him with her. Camden too."

"I loved being pregnant. I worked up until the day before I had Jackson here..." Mallory smiled as she bounced the baby gently.

"That was me with Camden, my water broke at work actually. This one, I've been off fully for the last two weeks. It just got to be too much with the constant pain I've been in. I was able to work for a chunk of weeks, but as soon as I exploded...my entire body seemed to revolt," she joked.

"I get it," she chuckled. "Jackson was 8 pounds even."

Rachel sighed. "Camden was just over 6. They're estimating this one," she ran her hands over her belly as Alice kicked. "Is going to be 8 pounds minimum, and long..."

"A dancer in the making," Mallory smiled.

"I like to think so. Or a soccer player."

When the boys returned home from the hockey game hours later, Camden was passed out in Finn's arms. Rachel and Mallory were just finishing up with watching Gone Girl while Jackson had fallen asleep cuddled up in his car seat. They had ordered pizza for dinner, neither of them had felt like cooking. Rachel smiled as she watched Camden curl into Finn's chest, sighing in his sleep. Nathan moved around her to get to Mallory to help her get Jackson's things together.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked quietly as she ran her fingers through Camden's hair. He shifted in Finn's arms, mumbling something about a goal.

"We had a really good time," Finn smiled as he kissed Camden's head."Did you?"

She nodded her response, laying her head on his free shoulder for a moment.

Shuffling came from the living room as Mallory and Nathan emerged at the front door, Nathan carrying the car seat with a sleeping Jackson.

"We're going to hit the road," he said softly as he looked at Rachel. "Our flight is pretty early tomorrow morning so we should get this little guy into his pack and play."

Rachel nodded, separating herself a little from Finn and Camden, opening her arms and giving Nathan a friendly hug.

"You take care of yourself," he smiled as he pulled away from her. "And let us know when your little girl arrives..."

Rachel smiled and nodded. "Will do." She rubbed her bump comfortingly before turning to Mallory who had been pulling on her shoes. She gave her a hug as well.

"You guys have a safe flight. Maybe we can meet up in the summer at some point?"

Mallory smiled. "That sounds good to me."

They said their goodbyes and Rachel closed and locked the door behind them, before turning to Finn.

"I'm going to get this little guy upstairs," he whispered.

"I'll come with you."

He nodded as he followed her up the stairs. She got to Camden's room first and set about grabbing some fresh pajamas and pulling back the blankets before Finn placed him down on the bed. He sighed in his sleep as she changed his clothes quickly before covering him up.

When she was finished, she stood at the side of his bed looking down at him. Finn wrapped his arms around her from behind for a moment, yawning as he leaned his head on her shoulder.

"When did he get so big, huh?" Finn asked quietly.

"You're telling me," she quietly agreed."8. I can't believe he'll officially be 8 tomorrow."

"Time has really flown," he sighed.

She nodded slowly before pulling out of his arms, not before taking his hand and tugging him after her.

"You okay?" He asked softly as he closed their bedroom door behind him.

She nodded slowly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "Yeah."

He ran his fingers through her long hair, placing a kiss on her forehead as he held her.

"Did you have a good afternoon with Mallory?"

She nodded. "It was fine."

"Rach?"

She turned her head up to look at him, a small smile on her lips. "Spending the afternoon with her just reminded me that I am so glad things turned out the way they did. "

He gave her a look, encouraging her to go on. "She just unintentionally brought up some old memories I've been trying to keep down. But she also reminded me that I got the better end of the deal."

"And what is that?"

"I got you," she whispered as she leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too Rach," he smiled as he pecked her lips again and his hands grazed her bump, causing Alice to kick heartily. They both chuckled.

* * *

"Welcome Mommy's and Daddy's to Lamaze, my name is Taylor and I will be your guide on this wonderful journey. We're only going to get to spend two Saturday's together, so why don't we jump right to it? I like to start by going around the room and introducing ourselves, give your due date and what you hope to learn in our time together." The older woman smiled at the small group in front of her. "I'll start. I'm Taylor, I'm a registered Lamaze instructor and have been for the last 10 years. I'm not currently pregnant, I just welcomed my fourth daughter in September. I hope to answer all of your questions and get you as prepared as possible for what is surely going to be the best day(s) of your lives."

They were the third couple in. Rachel reclined against Finn's chest as they listened intently to the two couples before them. The first couple, Christine and Cody were on their 4th child but had a story that was reminiscent of Puck and Quinn's, at least to her. The second couple Rob and Janelle were older, and Rachel could just feel the anxiety radiating off both of them. She tried to send them a reassuring smile, but Finn squeezing her hands in his drew her attention away.

"I'm Finn, this is my beautiful wife Rachel," he smiled, "and we're on baby number 2. Alice is due to arrive around the 18th of April."

"And what do you expect to take from our time together?" Taylor asked with a welcoming smile.

Rachel blew out a breath. "I need a refresher. Our older son is 8 and his birth was traumatic for me and I just...I need reassurance that this one will be okay."

"What was traumatic about it, if you don't mind me asking?" Taylor asked softly.

Rachel bit her lip and Finn kissed her hair. "It was traumatic in the fact that I was alone, I laboured for 14 hours before I started pushing and being alone that long really did something for my psyche. Our son had been identified before birth as having a 95% chance of having Down Syndrome, and his biological father ran the moment those words were uttered. So I was alone. And I just don't want a repeat of that," she paused. "But this time I have the best partner possible and I'm looking forward to experiencing this with him at my side."

Taylor nodded before turning to the couple next to them for introductions.

"It's going to be great," Finn whispered into her ear as they listened to the other introductions. "I'm with you every step of the way baby."

She smiled and sighed contentedly as he pressed a kiss against her head.

When introductions were finished, Taylor began the class with talking about the last few, final weeks of pregnancy.

Rachel tried to absorb everything Taylor was telling them. As she moved through topics that she vaguely remembered from her pregnancy with Camden, she felt Finn's arms wrapping around her a little tighter. Especially when a video of a woman in labor was played. She felt Finn take a deep breath as the video played and his face buried in the side of her neck. When the video was over, ending just before the woman delivered, she felt Finn give a sigh of relief. She patted his hands as Taylor moved topics, opting to discuss birth plans.

"Why do you think it's important to have a birth plan?" Taylor asked as she uncapped the white board marker and got it poised to write.

"So you're prepared?" one of the women on the other side of the room put out.

"Good." Taylor nodded.

"It's important so that everyone is on the same page. With my last birth, I felt like I wasn't supported during my delivery because I was alone." Rachel whispered. "My plan was ignored and I was pressured into pain medication by the nursing staff even though I was adamant that I was against it. I want to try and have this one naturally."

* * *

When they broke for lunch, she could tell Finn was having a hard time holding on. They walked hand and hand down to the cafeteria that was in the rec center the classes were being held. Rachel needed to stretch her legs from sitting on the ground and she felt like Finn could use a break. The last thing they had watched before they broke, was a video of a live birth And she could tell Finn was rattled. She watched from the table as he grabbed lunch for them, a salad for her and some soup for him before returning to the table. He gave her a hesitant smile when he placed the food in front of her. She watched him intently as he took the lid off the container and blew on the soup gently. She was about to dig into her own food before she stopped and reached across the table to grab his hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

When he didn't look at her right away, she ran her thumb over his knuckles to get his attention. "Finn?"

He raised his eyes from his soup to look across at her. "You okay?"

He shrugged, avoiding her eyes for more than a few seconds. "I'm glad we only went with the two sessions..."

"What? Why?"

He put his spoon down and gave her a light smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I don't think I can sit through this a million times. I'm not even sure I want to go back in there and watch the other videos she has for us..."

"Finn..." she paused. "It's just a video..."

"I know it's just a video. But sitting in that room? Listening to Taylor talk about the stages of labor and...babe, I don't know how we're going to do this..."

"What? Finn..." Her brow scrunched as she sighed.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to watch you go through all of that," he raised his hands to his face and rubbed his temples. "Is there...is there really going to be that much blood, Rach? Is that what it's really like?"

She bit her lip as she looked at him. "Finn..." she contemplated what to say for a moment as she took a bite of her salad. When she was finished, she answered him finally. "Yes. But it's still beautiful even though it's messy and..."

"And you want to do it without drugs? Babe..."

"I have to," she chewed her lip.

"Go through excruciating pain? Rach, if you think for one second that I'm going to let you suffer while I just stand there and hold your hand..."

"Finn!" She grabbed his hand. "I have to do this for me. To prove it to me, that I can do this. I can be present and fully aware and I can't do that with the drugs. The drugs made me foggy and numb and even a little more hysterical that I already was when I had Cam. I just need to feel this. I want to be present when we have our baby." She paused. "Is it going to be hard? Sure. But it's not going to be half as hard to deliver this baby than it was when I had Camden. And you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you're going to be there, holding my hand and letting me scream at the top of my lungs."

He chuckled as he leaned over the table and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Your faith in me is amazing."

She smiled before patting his cheek. "It's only fair that I return the favor once and awhile don't you think?" She pecked his lips once more. "You've been my rock this entire pregnancy. I'm glad to shoulder it for a few minutes. But for the record, you can have it back now..."

"Is that so?"

She nodded, standing up and picking up her tray. "I am about to have your moose of a baby in a few weeks. Surely you can be the strong one for a little while longer," she winked.

He laughed. "I think that can be arranged." He took the tray from her and threw out their trash. "Come on, let's go learn about how I can help you stay comfortable without getting my face punched in..."

She laughed heartily as he slipped his arm around her waist and led her back to the room to finish the class.

* * *

Enjoy!


	11. April 2028

**What? What's this? Another update? I was just much to excited about this to not get it out. I know, I know breaking my own ru****les again - but what are rules if they aren't mean to be broken?**

**I'm mainly getting this out so I don't have the urge to change it again. This chapter is probably my favourite cause we finally get to meet our baby! 3 Which brings me to my next point, it's the end. And I'm super sad to say goodbye to this universe. That's not to say I won't bring them back, but I at the moment have too many other ideas to keep going. So following this chapter, there will be an epilogue that will hopefully tie things together nicely.**

**So as with all of my last chapters, I have to give a few thanks.**  
**Firstly, to my twitter posse for letting me through this story. Especially Sara, for all her endless tweets, texts and emails. I'm pretty sure we got pretty personal on some levels with this one.**

**Secondly and lastly, YOU! Yes, you. Thank you for taking the time to read, favourite, follow and review this here story. It meant the world to me, and without any of this I wouldn't have been able to finish. I appreciate each and every one. And I hope you enjoy the rest.**

**But alas, we're at the end and I still don't own anyone affiliated with glee. I do, however, own Camden, Alice and any other original character. So thank you, once more, and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11  
**_April 2028_

He thought he was prepared. They had a plan in place. When they had finished with the birthing classes, they had made a plan. One that was fool proof, that wouldn't leave her alone for long. She was supposed to just go into labor and he was supposed to be there to hold her hand every single step of the way. From the first contraction to the last.  
So when his cell phone rang in his pocket just as he was dismissing his class for lunch, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Rach?" he stepped into the supply closet on the third ring, just as the lunch monitors had entered his classroom.

Heavy breathing met his ears for a moment and he could feel his heart speed up. "Rach?"

"Finn..." she stammered. "I...the contractions have started and..."

"How far apart? Are you in pain?" his words were flying out of his mouth quickly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Rach?"

She sucked in a breath and he could hear the shake in her voice. "They're about 8 minutes apart. But they're coming regularly now and I'm starting to feel them...can you..."

"I'm on my way babe. I'm leaving the school right now and I'll call Deanna to pick up Camden just like we planned and...I'm on my way to you baby. Right now, hold tight."

She gave him a soft okay before clicking end on the phone call. Finn had never flown out of the school so fast. He would've forgotten to tell anyone where he was going if he hadn't run into his principal on the way out. He needed to get to Rachel. This was already not going how they had planned.

* * *

She had been feeling the contractions for a couple hours now, three at most. They first started as little twinges that she could tolerate. In that time she'd finished washing Alice's clothes that they had received at the baby shower last weekend, had loaded the dishwasher and collected the rest of their laundry into one central pile so Finn could take it downstairs for her later. But as the hours had trickled by they had started coming more consistently, and while they were still bearable, the first one that had caused her to cringe had sent her running for the phone. She wanted Finn. She needed Finn. She just wanted him home, so she knew he was in the same vicinity as her. She wanted him close, so she could touch him and he could tell her that everything was going to be fine. She just wanted him.

She had this daydream, of how this would go. She would be at home, sleeping soundly in her bed with Finn beside her. The contractions would wake her, maybe even her water breaking. She would wake him up and he would take a bit of convincing but then they would get up, time her contractions and head to the hospital under the dark of night when it was time.

She knew enough about labor and delivery that she should have told herself it wouldn't happen like that. Cam's birth should have taught her that, what with going into labor at work, the being alone and all. But she had still built this fantasy in her mind and the fact that it already wasn't going along with her plan was already causing her to lose grip. She had to focus. She needed Finn. So she paced the upstairs hallway to pass the time with her hand pressed to the small of her back. What was taking him so long? The school wasn't that far from their house.

"Rach?" He had pulled his car into the driveway hastily and at the moment he couldn't even remember if he had hit the lock button. He had just wanted out of the car and into the house. He wanted to get to his wife. "Babe?"

"Up here!" He heard her strained voice and kicked off his shoes in a flurry before taking the stairs two at a time. He let out a sigh of relief when his eyes landed on her, although she looked less than thrilled at the moment. Her hair was piled high on her head and the long sleeved shirt that hung off her body is his, an old McKinley High Football one from high school. He had kept it as a memento, she had claimed it as pajamas a few weeks ago. Whatever made her happy.

"Hi baby," he whispered as he approached, placing his hand on her back as she hunched over. She sucked in a breath before righting her body and turning to Finn. She reached out to touch his cheek as she pulled her lip in her mouth. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. She instantly wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm so glad you're here."

He smiled gently. "I got here as quickly as I could. Had to confirm they could get a substitute before I left. It's a good thing I talked to Shelly last week..."

She groaned against his chest and sucked in a breath when she felt the familiar building pain of a contraction roll through her stomach.

"Okay, okay. It's okay. Breathe," he whispered into her ear as his hands glided down her to hips and held her. She clutched the material of his shirt in her hands as she let out a shuddered breath.

When the contraction ended, she pulled away from him slightly and looked up at him. He gave her a half smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You okay?"

She nodded as she leaned her head back on his chest. "For now..."

He ran his hand over her back a few times as she took a few deep breaths. "What can I do for you? If they're 8 minutes apart we can't go to the hospital just yet, right?" He was more talking to himself but smiled when he felt her nod against his chest.

"I want to lay down. I think," she bit her lip as she looked up at him. "Or take a shower...I don't really know what I want..."

Finn chuckled softly as he rubbed her back. "What would make you happy?"

"For this to go as quickly as possible. I just want to hold her," she ran her hands over her belly as she tried to decide what to do.

"I can't wait to hold her either," he whispered. "It'll happen soon enough. What about right this second? What can I do to help you?"

"Shower," she decided. "I want to take a shower. Help me,"

"You got it."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her into their bedroom, towards the bathroom.

She sat on the toilet as he got the shower going for her, cradling her bump in her hands. When it was ready, he turned towards her, just as another contraction started to rise. He was at her side before she could make a sound, clutching him to her as he rubbed her back.

When it ended, he helped her strip off the oversized shirt, pajama shorts and underwear she wore. He watched her as he helped her step into the hot stream of water, smiling when a contented sigh escaped her lips.

"You going to be okay for a few minutes?"

When she nodded, he turned to head back into the bedroom to change his clothes and grab a change of clothes for her.

When Finn left the room, Rachel let out a shuddered breath. The hot water beat down on her, soothing the achy muscles in her back as much as they could. She briefly wondered if she could just stay here forever. The water was doing wonders for her, but she knew her relaxation would be short lived. Her contractions had been coming almost exactly 8 minutes apart on the dot. Another one was just beginning as Finn appeared back in the bathroom. She let out a gasp and he was at her side in seconds, grabbing her hand as she closed her eyes and tried to remember how to blow out a breath.

He was determined to follow her lead. After he helped her get dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt he helped her walk down the stairs. He wasn't sure how much of a help he was being, but he felt relief warm his body every time she grabbed his hand when she had a contraction, and simultaneously felt the same when it ended. He knew his job was to time them, and as time crawled on and her contractions started to grow closer together and more intense he felt his palms start to sweat. Every single time her face scrunched in pain, every time she squeezed just a little bit harder he felt his anxiety rise. This was happening. Now was not the time to freak out, but he couldn't help but feel like his mind was going a million miles an hour. They were really doing this, they were really going to have a baby.

* * *

The phone rang sometime in late afternoon and he almost missed answering it as Rachel was in the throes of another contraction. When he got to it, he noticed it was his mother calling.

"Mom, hi," he sighed into the phone as Rachel continued to hold his hand. "Did you..."

"We got your message! We're on our way! We can grab Camden from Deanna's and..."

"We're still at home," he interrupted. He didn't want them to bring Camden to the house while they were still here. It was something they had decided when they made their birth plan. He wanted Rachel to be free to do or say whatever she needed to do as she rode her contractions, and she didn't want to scare Camden. So they'd made a plan, Deanna would take Camden until his parents could take over, unless it happened at night.

"How's it going?"

"We're okay, the contractions are starting to come closer together," he managed to get out as Rachel let out another groan.

Rachel winced as another contraction claimed her, sooner than she had anticipated. The intensity stole her breath as she squeezed Finn's hand. They were coming closer together and as she cinched her eyes shut she tried to remember to breathe through the pain. She could hear Finn talking, though at the moment she wasn't sure if he was talking to her or whoever was on the phone. But soon the sound of his voice was gone and she felt him use his free hand to push her hair back from her face.

"Rach?" he whispered when it was finally over.

"I think we should start getting ready to go," she whimpered as she slowly opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were soft, the concern written all over his face, she could easily feel how much he loved her in just one look.

"You think so?"

She bit her lip as she looked up at him, nodding as her hands squeezed his. "I..." She bit her lip as she felt the pressure of another contraction surfaced.

"Breathe Rach," he whispered. "Breathe,"

It all happened in a blur from there. When the contraction ended, Finn ran to grab her shoes and coat to throw on over her clothes. He kissed the inside of her ankle as he slid her Uggs on her feet before looking up at her. She had her head reclined on the back of the couch, her hands circling her belly. He thought he could see tears pricking in the corners of her eyes and he felt his heart surge. He reached for her hands and tugged her up on her feet slowly. She sighed when she fell into his chest for a moment as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Let's go have a baby," he whispered.

She nodded and swallowed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently guided her towards the garage door.

* * *

Once they reached the hospital, any sense of calm that surrounded her was beginning to evaporate. She felt Finn squeezing her hand tightly in his as they walked slowly through the door, having to stop a few feet inside as a contraction took hold. But once they got to the desk it suddenly became so real.  
They were having a baby. Sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning they were going to have their daughter with them, in their arms. The thought gave her anxiety and fear for a brief moment. Until she took a look at Finn. The excitement and concern that danced in his eyes soothed her as she rubbed the side of her stomach as he checked her in.

Flashbacks entered her mind as they were shown to their room, memories of the last time she was in this position caused her mind to cloud and her heart to race. Finn, sensing that something was bothering her took one look at her face and immediately put down the bag he was holding and approached her.

"It's not going to go like that," he whispered as he ran his hands up and down her arms. He was always good at being able to read her mind. It's one of the reasons she loved him so much. "I'm here, we're in this together and everything is going to be fine."

"Promise?" her lip trembled as the word left her mouth.

"Promise. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Alice, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled softly as he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers. In just one kiss, she could feel that everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

He watched helplessly from the sidelines as she was examined, the nurse proclaiming that she was officially five cm dilated and they would be allowed to stay. He watched the look of relief cross her face and felt the same come across his. He hadn't realized that even though they were here, they may not have been able to stay. When the nurse left she sat up more on the bed and opened her arms to him. He was there in an instant, wrapping her in a comforting hug. She nuzzled her head in his neck for a moment, taking a deep breath in to inhale his scent. When they pulled apart, he pecked her lips twice before pulling away. He left his hand on her belly, smiling as he ran his hand over the curve being careful of the monitor the nurse had strapped around her.

"Half way," she breathed. "If this is half way, maybe it won't be so bad..."

* * *

Wrong.  
As the evening and her labor progressed, Rachel could feel her resolve and excitement slipping. She was exhausted as the night went on, she was tired of looking at the four walls of her room, but was in much too much agony to walk further than around her room. She took advantage of the single suite she had and walked around, Finn not far behind her. She hung on to him through her contractions, allowing him to brace her as they rolled through her closer together and for a longer period of time. He massaged her back when she wanted, fed her ice chips and wiped her forehead when she got too hot.

As another contraction came to an end, she blew out a breath as Finn massaged her hips.

"You're doing so well baby, so well..." he whispered into her ear. She could only nod before leaning her forearms on her bed.

"How long have we been here?" she mumbled against the mattress as his fingers dug into her hips. She winced when he hit a particular sore spot. "Ugh,"

"Sorry babe," he whispered. "Um, 3 hours? It's just after 8 babe."

"Ugh," she sighed as she grabbed for the blankets on the bed, curling them in her fingers as the pain seared through her.

"Breathe Rach, breathe..."

"I am breathing," she growled as she sunk her head into the mattress. He continued to massage her hips, varying between there and the small of her back. "Fuck, this sucks," she growled once more.

A knock on the door interrupted them before Finn could respond and he almost sighed in relief when he saw the night nurse, Brooke walk in.

"How're we doing in here?" she asked cheerfully as she approached the couple.

"I think we're doing okay," Finn whispered as he rubbed her back.

"Speak for yourself," Rachel groaned. She sucked in a breath. "This hurts so bad..."

"Well, pain could be a good sign," Brooke smiled. "Dr. Bartholomew sent me in here to check your progress. But I'm going to need you to get in bed for that."

Rachel shook her head. "I can't. There's too much pain when I lay in bed. It hurts my back too much..."

She smiled at her sympathetically.

"It's okay Rach..."

She glared at him as he helped her stand up, adjusting his stance to hold most of her weight. He helped her into bed being mindful of the fetal monitor and held her hand as Brooke sat between her legs. She sucked in a breath as the exam started, and Finn turned her head to look directly at him while placing a kiss on her fist.

"I love you," he whispered when she whimpered, the sound gradually getting louder the more uncomfortable the exam became. "You're so amazing and I love you so much,"

"8 cm." Brooke smiled as she snapped off her gloves. "It won't be too long now. You're progressing nicely. Baby should be here soon, she's nice and low."

It was all Rachel could do to just nod. Brooke left after writing in her chart as Rachel arched her back off the bed as a contraction started.

"Ugh..." Finn helped her roll onto her side, pressing the palm of his hand into the small of her back while she tightened her grip on his hand.

"She's going to be here soon," he whispered as she closed her eyes, softly humming as she fought another contraction. "Before tonight's over we're going to be holding our baby Rach. Isn't that amazing?"

She arched her back into him as she grimaced, clutching his hand. "It's okay baby, just breathe..."

When her features relaxed, he pressed a kiss to her forehead while her eyes remained closed. She blew a breath between her lips, sucking another one in through her nose as she felt another one build. They were coming fast, closer together and she could barely stand it.

* * *

The closer she got to delivery, the more pain she felt as the baby moved down and the pressure increased, the more scared she became. This was all going so well, so normal, she just felt like there was something that was destined to go wrong. The other shoe, so to speak was due to drop soon. She opened her eyes only to slam them shut again as an intense contraction ripped through her. She wanted to cry, but instead only a loud groan left her lips. The pain was intense and as the contraction continued, she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to do this.

"Finn?" she sighed once it ended.

"Yeah babe?"

"Promise me you'll still love her if she's not okay..."

"What?' His voice raised an octave and she looked at him intently. "Babe? She's fine..."

"You don't know that!"

He took her face in his hands as she opened her eyes for a minute. "Everything is fine. She's fine...everyone keeps telling us she's fine."

"But what if she isn't!" She shrieked as one contraction after another began to hit her.

"She will be babe, everything is fine. Everything is perfect. And I love you so much," he whispered into her ear when she let him get close enough.

Finn felt helpless. He had no idea what had brought those thoughts back. He tightened the grip on her hand as she writhed on the bed, fighting the contractions that were racking her body.

"It's okay Rach," he whispered as he applied the wet cloth to her forehead. "Everything is going to be just fine."

His heart broke when she sobbed when she finally had a moment to catch her breath.

"Finn," she groaned. "Finn, make it stop..."

His breath hitched as he looked at her, her face scrunched in pain. He could tell it was bad, he didn't need to look at the monitor to know that the contractions were coming faster and longer. All he had to do was look at Rachel's face. She had a death grip on his hand, and she had stopped talking. The only noises coming from her were grunts and some small whimpers as she succumbed to the pain her body was in.

He felt tears come to his eyes as he watched her. It broke his heart to watch her in pain, he could just tell that she was struggling to hold on and he felt so immensely proud of her and how she was handling it. It was all he could do not to break down and keep hold of her hand as he helped her through another contraction. He was so proud of her.

* * *

Time seemed to stand still for Rachel. After her water finally broke, the pain increased tenfold and she felt an unbearable pressure between her legs. It was like someone had gone over to the monitor and had cranked up the volume on her contractions from a 3 to a 10. She moaned as she felt the intense pain that she knew meant something was happening. Everything was amplified, everything hurt. She couldn't get her mouth to make anything other than assorted pain filled noises.

"I need to push," she groaned as she arched her back. She writhed on the bed trying to find a comfortable position, but really there was no such thing. Finn tried to hold it together as he held her hand, but the reality of the situation was beginning to wear him down, just as Brooke dashed out of the room in search of Dr. Bartholomew.

"Finn, do something. It hurts...I need her out...get her out!" she cried as she tried to move her legs on the bed. She seized her movements as the pain became too much to bear and she started to become hysterical.

"I know baby, just hold on, okay? It's okay..."

"It's not okay, it's not okay..." she cried. "Finn make it stop..."

"I'm sorry babe," he swallowed hard as the door swung open and Dr. Bartholomew flew in. "I'm so sorry..."

He looked helplessly towards the end of the bed where Dr. Bartholomew was rushing to get set up.

When Brooke had checked her, not only was Rachel ready to deliver, the baby was extremely low and causing all sorts of pressure. Finn's heart broke as he held Rachel's hand, fighting hard to help her resist the urge to push. Her face scrunched in pain as she closed her eyes trying to buck against the pain.

"Okay Rachel, grab your left knee and pull back. Finn, can you grab the other?" He nodded thickly and pulled her leg back just as she let out a painful cry.

"On my count Rachel, I want you to take a deep breath and put your chin to your chest and push okay?"

She nodded as she bit her lip as she stared at the doctor.

"Here comes a contraction, breathe in and push..."

Finn did his best to keep a hold on her knee and her hand at the same time. But the second she collapsed against the bed and cried hysterically, he felt himself losing it.

"We need to go again Rachel..."

"I can't do this," she cried as she shook her head. "It hurts too bad, I can't do this...I don't want to do this anymore..."

"On the next contraction you need to push Rachel. She can't come out if you don't push..." Dr. Bartholomew encouraged calmly as Rachel sobbed.

She screamed as she pushed. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire as she held her breath and bore down. She pushed again, and again and again. Everything burned and she felt like nothing was making it go away. She collapsed against the bed after pushing again and she couldn't keep her sobs to herself. She was tired; exhausted and she just wanted this to be over. She wanted to be done. But she wasn't close to being done.

"I want to be done," she cried as she felt another contraction surge."Finnn..."

"C'mon Rach, just go again..."

"I can't..." she fought against the urge as she looked up at him. "I can't..."

"You can babe, you can. You've made it this far and she's almost here. Just take my hand and let's meet our Alice. Don't you want to meet her?"

She nodded her head quickly.

"Time to push Rachel. Just a few more good ones and she'll be here."

Finn felt his stomach roll as he watched all the effort she was exerting. His heart both simultaneously felt like it was going to break and burst at the same time. It felt like forever, and he kept chanting encouraging words, trying to give her every bit of encouragement he could muster.

Rachel groaned after a particularly long and hard push, interrupted by Dr. Bartholomew.

"Here she comes, one big push and her head will be out...Finn, if you want to see..."

He swallowed hard as he looked from the doctor to Rachel. Even with her eyes clenched tightly she nodded, knowing he was looking at her. Without letting go of her leg or her hand he watched as Rachel pushed hard, squeezing his fingers. As he watched the scene unfold, he felt like the room was beginning to spin. It was both the single most beautiful thing and most disgusting thing in the entire world.

"She's beautiful," he whispered as she collapsed against the bed. He didn't dare blink as he watched Dr. Bartholomew wipe her face and nose before turning back to Rachel and pressing a grateful kiss to her lips. It was a second before the doctor was instructing Rachel to push once more.

She was in agony. But the second those words left Finn's lips her eyes shot open as she gasped.

"One more push Rachel and you'll have your baby... "

"You can do this babe, this is it..." Finn leaned over and placed a hard kiss on her lips before readjusting his hand under her knee and squeezing her hand.

In a blur of tears and one killer push that felt like it was destined to turn her inside out, it was over. Dr. Bartholomew held the squirming, screaming newborn up in the air so both Rachel and Finn could see her.

"Oh my God, hi baby," she cried as she began to sob. Alice let out a strong wail as she was placed on Rachel's stomach as a nurse moved in to wipe her down briskly. "Oh my Alice," she sobbed as she placed a shaking hand on the baby's back. "You're gorgeous. Isn't she beautiful Finn?" She tore her eyes away from the baby for a moment to look at Finn. Her heart swelled when she saw how emotional he was, it brought tears to her own eyes.

* * *

He couldn't contain the sob anymore, the tears spilled down his cheeks rapidly as the baby was placed on Rachel's stomach. It was a moment that would be ingrained in his mind forever. His heart was beating a million miles an hour as he placed his hand on her back as she continued to cry.

"I love you so much," he whispered with a thick voice. He pressed a kiss to Rachel's lips as the tears continued to roll down his cheeks. They both looked down at Alice as her wails began to taper as Rachel rubbed her back. "I love you so much," he repeated over and over."Thank you baby, thank you. I love you," he repeated over and over.

Alice was taken from them a moment later to be cleaned and weighed. Finn felt torn between staying at Rachel's side and comforting his daughter (his daughter!) who had began to wail in earnest.

"Go Finn," Rachel whispered as Dr. Bartholomew worked between her legs. It was breaking her heart to listen to her cry. "She needs you..." He kissed her quickly and did as she urged, making it across the room in under a minute to comfort Alice.

"8 pounds, 9 ounces." the nurse proudly stated as she swaddled the hysterical newborn. "She's gorgeous. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he whispered as she was handed to him. "Oh my God, you're so beautiful." Alice whimpered in his arms as he held her. His heart was going a million miles a minute, and as he looked down at her he felt all the breath leave his body. Her eyes were clinched shut as she yawned, her little fingers peeking out from under the blanket. He sniffed as he lifted her to meet his mouth as he pressed a kiss to her head before bringing her over to see Rachel.

Rachel watched from her bed as Finn held Alice gently in his arms. Her heart swelled as she yawned sleepily as Finn brought her over to her. He looked so perfect, so natural with the baby in his arms.

"And this is your Mommy," he whispered as he pressed another kiss to the baby's head. "And Mommy, this is your daughter..."

"Alice," she breathed as he lowered her into her arms. She ran her finger over the baby's nose, the nose that distinctly belonged to Finn. "You're finally here..."  
Finn smiled as he leaned over, softly nuzzling his face into her shoulder. "She's perfect. Ten long fingers and ten tiny toes," he whispered into her ear. "And a head full of chocolate brown hair," he said with awe as he moved the tiny pink cap a little. "8 pounds, 9 ounces of perfection."

She smiled up at him with tears in her eyes before following his eyes back to the bundle in her arms. They sat quietly as they both stared down at the baby as she slept.

"She's a sleepy girl," Finn laughed, his eyes not leaving the baby. "God Rach, she looks so much like you."

She smiled gently as she zeroed in on the baby's features. But she didn't see herself, she saw her gorgeous husband. She was all Hudson, right down to the dimple in her cheek when she pursed her lips in her sleep.

* * *

A nurse came in sometime later, Finn was unsure how much time had actually passed. When he wasn't staring at Alice, he was staring at Rachel. He was so in awe of her, and he could just see on her face how happy she was.

"I have her birth certificate," the nurse smiled. "Do we have a name picked out?"

Rachel leaned back on the bed, clutching Alice to her chest as she smiled sleepily at Finn. He looked back at her and only turned to the nurse when Rachel nodded her silent agreement.

"Alice," he whispered as he turned back to the baby. He gently ran his finger over her plump cheek as she blew a soft breath through her lips."Alice Jayne Hudson."

The nurse smiled."That's beautiful."

"It was my wife's idea," he grinned as the nurse held out the form for him to fill out. After he scrawled his name with a practiced precision, he turned to hand it to Rachel. After a second, she moved the baby to her left arm as Finn held out the form for her.

A gasp escaped her lips as she read over the information after she signed it. The nurse smiled before leaving.

"What?" he asked softly.

"It's your birthday," she whispered." I'm sorry I ruined your birthday," she whispered as she looked back down at the baby.

"Ruined my birthday? Babe, this is...you've given me the best gift ever," he ran his finger over the baby's pink cheek.

"I'm never going to be able to top this," she sighed as a yawn escaped her lips. The exhaustion of the day was catching up with her.

"You'll never need to. Unless we knock you up again," he laughed. She shot him a glare. "I'm kidding..." he chuckled. But as it died down, he became more serious. "Thank you Rachel," he murmured.

"What..."

"For her," he whispered. "For my family. For my life."

She smiled warmly as tears surfaced in her eyes once more. "I couldn't imagine our life being any different," she whispered. "And it's because of you. I love you so much."  
The baby sneezed in her sleep as she uncurled her fingers, just enough for Finn to get his finger in there. When her fingers closed around his, the sense of fatherly pride that overcame him moved him to tears once more.

"I love you too. All of you," he whispered as he swallowed hard. "So much."

* * *

But it was later that night, in the dark of night as he held Alice in his arms long after Rachel had fed her and fallen asleep herself that it really started to sink in. They just had a baby. He can't sleep, because he can't really believe that this is his life. He watches her intently as she sleeps, noticing her eyelashes that are long like her mom's fluttering against her cheeks and he just suddenly feels at peace. Everything is right in his world, everything in his life is good and perfect. And it's because of this little 8 pound bundle in his arms.  
"You've picked the best family Alice Jayne. And I promise you, that I'm going to try to be the best father that I can be for you. You see, you're really my first chance at starting this from the beginning. Your big brother, who you'll meet tomorrow and already loves you so much, was 2 and a half when I reconnected with your Mama. He's the best thing that ever happened to me, just like you and especially like your Mom. But I just need you to be patient with me while I learn all this cause I have very little experience you know, changing diapers and burping. But Mama seems to think that I'll be fine, I just hope you think so too. I love you so much Alice, I cannot wait to see what sort of adventure you take us on. Just nothing too crazy, alright? Your Mama and brother keep me on my toes as it is. You'll see," he pressed a kiss to her forehead just as she yawned widely and opened her eyes to blink at him. "There's my beautiful girl," he smiled. She made a sound that to Finn sounded like a giggle, though he knew well enough that wasn't possible just yet. "I'm gonna love you forever kid."

**THE END.**

* * *

And once again, I thank you all for reading. 3


	12. Epilogue - April 2029

**A/N - we****ll, here we are. The end. I hope this ties things together for you.  
Once again, I have to thank Sara for reading over everything. She is truly the best. And to all of my (nice) reviewers. I appreciate each and every one. And who knows, maybe we'll come back to this universe in a one shot. But for now, I bid adieu. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Epilogue

_April 2029_

The intoxicating giggle that was coming from the monitor on her side of the bed caused Rachel to wake up with a smile. She rolled over on to her side, cuddling into Finn as he too was woken by the sound.

"I think our birthday girl is awake," he smiled sleepily as she rested her head on his chest. His hand found the top of her head, pushing her hair back from her face.

"It sure sounds like it," she laughed. "I can only imagine what is making her laugh like that."

"I can think of a few things," he chuckled just as a full blown squeal floated into the room. "We should go see what she's up to."

Rachel nodded, lifting her head off his chest for a moment. "But first," she placed her hands on his cheeks and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, she smiled at him. "Happy birthday Daddy," she winked.

He laughed and tried to kiss her cheek gently as she untangled from his arms. "Oh come on,"

She laughed as she got out of bed, stretching before pulling her hair on top of her head.

"Our birthday girl awaits," she laughed as she left the room, making her way towards Alice's bedroom.

Finn fell back against the bed and groaned as he covered his eyes with his forearm before getting out of bed himself.

Rachel walked down the hallway and laughed to herself when she heard the giggles get louder. She pushed open the door and the only way to describe the scene in front of her, was that it brought an enormous smile to her face. Alice was standing up in her crib, curly brown hair sticking up everywhere and her cute navy blue pajamas all mused from a night of sleep. But what she couldn't miss, was the absolute look of joy on her little girl's face as Camden danced in front of her, playing with her favourite stuffed hippo and making noises with it that only the two of them could understand. This was a regular scene in her house these days. Camden had some sort of sixth sense about Alice, and would almost always know when she was awake before her first cry or laugh was emitted. It had been that way from the very beginning, and the bond that the two of them shared despite their (what Rachel considered) massive age difference was rather magical. She smiled as she leaned against the door frame, watching them interact and laughing slightly even when Alice squealed in delight.

As she watched them, she was instantly taken back to a moment, not quite like this but just as precious almost a year ago.

_She couldn't take her eyes off the little girl in her arms. Everything about her was perfect, from the slight curl in her dark brown hair, right down to her tiny little toes. She was just in awe, this little being was part her and part Finn, and that thought took her breath away. She felt delirious with happiness, albeit a little exhausted as well. The night had been rough, Alice had seemed to inherit some of her brother's genes of impatience when it came to being fed and changed. She was thanking her lucky stars that she had Finn this time around, because he took it all in stride. He was all hands in from the moment she came out, screaming and flailing and hadn't stopped since._

_She smiled as she leaned back on her uncomfortable hospital bed as she held the newborn in her arms. She didn't want to let her go; she couldn't let her go. She was too perfect and she was just too much in love and it was just too much to bear._

_A gentle knock on the door broke her from her thoughts, and she smiled when Finn popped his head in._

_"Hey babe," he smiled, his voice quiet. "Everything good?"_

_When she nodded, a smile lit up his handsome face as he opened the door wider and walked in, Camden attached to his leg._

_He had gone home an hour ago to pick up Camden. They had planned for him to be the first one to meet her, and their parents understood that. Both sets would be by sometimes afterwards. She wouldn't doubt if her father's were already on the way and Finn's were in the waiting room._

_She instantly spotted the uneasiness on Camden's features. His eyes fluttered around the room, taking in the sights and sounds of her quiet hospital room. The only noise, really, was the odd smacking of Alice's lips in her sleep, something she found incredibly adorable. Something she had inherited from Finn._

_"Camden," she said gently. His eyes flew to hers immediately. "Hey Cam,"_

_"Mommy," he whispered as he wrapped his arm around Finn's leg, his other hand clutching a stuffed animal. He stood still as he looked at her, his eyes moving between her and Alice. Finn peeled his arm from around his leg gently before getting down to his level._

_"Remember what we talked about in the car pal?" he said gently._

_She watched Camden bite his lip. "Mommy had baby Alice," he replied slowly, his voice quiet and unsure._

_"That's right Daddy brought Mommy to the hospital and the doctors, helped Alice come out of Mommy's tummy. She's right there in Mommy's arms, do you want to go see?"_

_"Go see," he murmured as he stuck his fingers in his mouth. Finn smiled and kissed Camden's head before standing up and bringing him over to the bed. He picked him up a little so he could see over the edge of the bed to see Alice._

_"Camden, this is your baby sister Alice," Rachel introduced quietly. The baby grunted as Rachel shifted her slightly in her arms. "Alice, this is your big brother Camden."_

_"Alice," he whispered softly. He turned his head to look up at Finn before looking back at the baby. "Baby Alice," he used his free hand to reach out and touch the hand that was sticking out of her blanket gently. The wide grin that spread across his face brought tears to both Finn and Rachel's eyes. "Baby fingers!" he giggled. His eyes glittered as he looked at the baby. "Baby toes?"_

_Both Finn and Rachel chuckled. "She does have toes,"_

_He giggled again. "I sit Mommy?"_

_Finn's eyes flashed to hers as he made his request. Rachel smiled gently and shifted over slightly, wincing as she did so. She saw the concern spread on Finn's face immediately. She tried to brush him off. "Sure baby, right here..."_

_Finn placed Camden beside her on the bed. "Careful Pal,"_

_Rachel made sure she was holding Alice securely in her left arm before moving to wrap her other one around Camden. He immediately snuggled into her side, but his eyes never left Alice._

_"My sister," he whispered giddily, before leaning over and grabbing the toy he had abandoned. "Hippo for sister!" He held it up triumphantly before holding it out to the baby. "For Alice!" he giggled. The baby's eyes fluttered open, almost as if she knew she was being talked about. Camden gasped and leaned over Rachel's side. "She awake Mommy!" he giggled. "Hi Alice!"_

_Rachel allowed her eyes to move away from Camden and Alice for a moment, finding Finn's at her side._

_"Can I hold Mommy?" Camden asked after a few minutes of staring at her intently. He'd obviously decided she was okay._

_"Of course," Rachel said softly. She looked up at Finn for a hand. He turned around to grab the extra pillow from the cupboard and placed it on Camden's lap. He gave them both a questioning look._

_"It's so Alice stays comfy," Finn smiled. He walked around and took the baby from Rachel._

_"Daddy! My turn!" Camden squealed. "I hold Alice!"_

_Rachel giggled as Finn walked around the bed while Rachel quickly showed Camden where to put his arms. When Finn placed the baby down in his arms Camden's eyes immediately zeroed in on her._

_"She so little," he whispered._

_Rachel laughed uncomfortably as she looked up at Finn for a second. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Camden's head just as the shutter of Finn's camera went off. She looked up and gave him a smile._

_He put the camera down and returned it. "This is kind of perfect, isn't it?"_

_She just nodded as Camden giggled when Alice sneezed. "It's perfect."_

"Mama!" Rachel was shaken from her thoughts by the high pitched squeal coming from the other side of the room. She grinned, seeing Alice's amber eyes glittering at her, both of her arms outstretched to her.

"Hi Mama!" Camden laughed. "Alice up!"

"I see that!" She walked across the room and laid a kiss on Alice's messy brown hair before kissing Camden's just as he scampered out of the room.

Alice squealed as Rachel lifted her out of the crib, instantly cuddling into her chest as she crossed the room to the change table.

"Did you have a good sleep?" She smiled as she placed her down on the change table. Alice grinned up at her as she giggled. She babbled her response as Rachel changed her diaper quickly before pulling her pajamas back up. She was just picking her up off the changing table when Alice began to giggle and squeal madly. Rachel turned around to see Finn standing in the doorway to the room.

To say Alice was a Daddy's girl was putting it mildly. From the moment she was born, the two of them had been attached at the hip. Her first word may have been Mama, but Rachel knew that if she could've blended the D sound first it would have been Dada. She lived for Finn, following him around where ever she could while doing her super crawl. Her eyes lit up, much like they were right now, whenever she saw him. And the feeling was mutual.

"There's my birthday girl!" he laughed as he padded across the soft white carpet as Alice giggled again. When he was close enough, Alice leaned out of Rachel's arms, trusting that Finn would grab her.

"Da!" she exclaimed as she settled against his chest, her thumb immediately finding her mouth. Rachel smiled as she looked at the two of them together. Both of them looked so content and happy, it made her heart swell just as a crash came from downstairs.

She closed her eyes and counted to five before leaving the room, attempting not to overreact. She made it down to the kitchen to find that Camden dragged a step stool to the counter and had been attempting to get the box of pancake mix out of the cupboard. In the interim, he had knocked over the steel mixing bowl he had grabbed and it had clamoured to the floor. Taking with it a container of icing sugar Rachel had kept on the counter. Far from the edge.

"Camden, what is going on in here?" She asked calmly as Finn followed behind her.

He stopped his movements before turning around to look at her. "I wanna make breakfast," he said softly as his eyes met hers. "For Alice,"

She sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. She walked slowly over to him, careful of the spilled icing sugar on the floor before reaching to help him down. He immediately looked at his feet, knowing he might get in trouble for doing this on his own. Rachel sighed as she nudged his head to look at her. "How about you help me clean up the floor and then we can make pancakes together?"

He nodded slowly before walking across the room to get the broom to start sweeping. Rachel looked across at Finn, who had busied himself getting Alice her morning bottle.

When breakfast was ready, Rachel let Camden take the pancakes into the dining room while she grabbed the coffee and juice. She chuckled when she heard Alice bang her hands against the tray of her high chair as Camden brought her hers. Did she mention she was exactly like her father? Always hungry. Always excited to eat.

* * *

They ate breakfast as a family before Rachel sent Camden upstairs to get dressed for the day. They were having their family over to celebrate (mostly) Alice's birthday, but she had gotten a small chocolate cake for Finn as well. She smiled as she watched Finn attempt to wipe Alice down with a face cloth. She had managed to get syrup everywhere and would require a bath before the party, but they seemed to be having fun together so she didn't have the heart to stop him. As Alice grinned up at Finn with her nose scrunched up and her teeth on proud display Rachel allowed herself to enjoy the moment, as her mind traced back to the first time they really got to see that smile.

_She had been inconsolable all day. Alice had been a good baby, an easy baby by anyone's standards for the first four weeks of her life. But today she just wasn't having it at all. Rachel walked the house many times over, gently swaying and rocking the infant to try and get her to calm. She'd changed her diaper, given her a bath, changed her clothes, tried to feed her but she wouldn't take it - she had tried literally everything in her arsenal, everything that had worked with Camden. But nothing would calm the fussy newborn._

_"Alice Jayne, I don't know how to help you baby, what's wrong sweetheart?" she murmured as she carried her through the house again before settling on the couch. She whimpered as Rachel sat and as she got comfortable the garage door rumbled to life._

_"I think Daddy and Camden are home baby girl. Will that make you happy? Is that what's wrong?" she whispered into her head."Do you miss Daddy? Cause I miss Daddy."_

_Instead of the usual chaos that ensued when Camden came home from school, the house was relatively quiet. Rachel adjusted Alice in her arms and was starting to stand when Finn came in the room._

_"Hey," he whispered, a smile on his face when he saw her holding Alice who immediately gave a whimper. "What's wrong?"_

_"She's just been all over the place today," Rachel sighed, adjusting the baby so she was leaning against her shoulder. She cradled her head as Alice sneezed. "Where's Cam?"_

_"Deanna and Molly invited him over for popsicles," he laughed. "I have to go get him after dinner..."_

_She nodded, biting her lip._

_"Here, let me take her..." he sat down beside her and gestured to take the baby from her. "She been giving you a hard time?"_

_Rachel shrugged. "Not so much a hard time, she's just been unsettled. She slept a lot, but woke up in a weird mood. I think she's hitting a growth spurt or something I don't know,"_

_"Already?" he looked down at the baby in his arms. "But she's still so little..."_

_"They grow you know," she yawned with a laugh._

_"You're not going to grow up ever are you AJ?" Finn asked as he looked down at her with a wide smile. "You're going to stay my little princess forever..."_

_"AJ?" Rachel quirked an eyebrow at him for a moment before leaning against his shoulder and closing her eyes for just a moment._

_"Yeah. AJ. We decided it was a cool nickname, didn't we sweet pea?" he ran his finger over her warm cheek as she blinked up at him a few times, just before a small smile crossed her features. "Awe, Rach look! She's smiling!" Rachel opened her eyes and looked down at Alice who had a small, graceful smile on her face. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at Finn, and even if she didn't know it yet, Alice was well on her way to becoming a tried and true Daddy's girl. The look on Finn's face made her heart flip. He looked so enamoured, so pleased that he had caught one of her firsts. She even saw a tear pricking the corner of his eye as he held the gaze long after the smile had disappeared and Alice had closed her eyes._

_"We made her Rach, isn't she amazing?" he whispered as he continued to look down at her. She leaned over and kiss his shoulder._

_"She is pretty amazing," she smiled sleepily._

* * *

After breakfast, Finn offered to start decorating the living room while Rachel gave Alice a bath. His attempts at wiping her down with a cloth had been futile, especially once Alice got a hold of it and started to clean him with it. Rachel laughed as Alice babbled to herself in a singsong voice as she slapped her hands against the sudsy water.

"You having fun princess?" she asked softly as she ran the wash cloth over her back. Alice grinned up at her with her classic Finn-like grin as she grabbed for the plastic duck that was floating in the water. She responded with a slap to the water. "Today's a special day baby girl. Today you're one year old!" she sighed as she filled a plastic cup with warm water and dumped it over her shoulders gently to rinse her off. "I can't believe you're a year old already baby. Though you're not technically a year until later tonight," she chuckled. "Seems like only yesterday I was telling Daddy I was pregnant with you, let alone welcoming you. This year has been so amazing," she murmured as she let Alice play for another minute. "You've shown me so much Alice, about the world, about life, about your father even. I knew he was a good man, because he chose to love me and your brother as a package deal, but seeing him with you baby girl...has made me fall in love with him even more. And it's because of you princess. You've done amazing things for our family, for me just by being here. It's been a wild ride these last few months, and there's never a dull moment with you around but that's what I love most about you baby girl. You're never scared, and maybe that's because I was scared enough for the both of us while I was pregnant with you - but that's just it. You've shown me a whole other way to love baby girl and I love you for it."Alice turned and grinned up at her once more.

"Mama," she smiled.

"Mama loves you princess," Rachel smiled as she sniffled. "Now, let's wash your hair so we can get you in your pretty party dress!"

* * *

She felt herself getting teary as she dressed Alice in her pretty light blue dress afterwards. She really was growing up, right in front of her eyes. Gone was the small newborn who had fit perfectly in her arms, in her place was a burgeoning toddler. Her little girl wasn't a baby anymore and that thought alone caused her to tear. She had grown so fast it seemed, and had now become this wonderful being that she was so glad she got to call hers. She'd been thinking about it for the last few days as they prepared for the awesome Alice in Wonderland themed party they were throwing, about how much her life had changed for the better since having Alice. Since deciding even, that her and Finn were ready to have a baby together. She had been so scared, so terrified that things would go wrong, Finn wouldn't love Camden anymore, Finn wouldn't love the baby if she was sick and a million other things. But she had been wrong. She should've known he would prove her wrong. He was the epitome of a devoted father to BOTH of their children, making time for each of them every day even if he only had a few minutes. She had to stop herself sometimes when she watched him with both of them, she had to pinch herself that this was her life.

They had decided, somewhere around the time that Alice turned three months old that this was it for them. They weren't going to have any more kids. Their lives were busy with two children who were on two completely different schedules at the time. It had been Finn who had brought it up to her, about how he felt their family was perfect the way it was and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't relieved when he told her that. But now as she watched Alice carefully twirl in her blue dress in the mirror, she wondered if that was the right decision. She quickly shook her head at the thoughts. It was the right decision. Their family was perfect.

"There's the birthday girl!" Both her and Alice turned around to see Burt standing in the doorway, Carole right behind him. Alice squealed as he stepped into her bedroom and as soon as she had deemed him close enough she took a few tentative steps towards him, falling into her beloved Papa's arms. If there was anyone in the world she loved more than Finn it was Burt. Alice had been attached to him from the moment he had held her the day after she was born.

Rachel laughed as she stood up from where she had been sitting on the carpet. Burt had started to smother the baby in kisses as she shrieked in delight while both her and Carole looked on. She walked towards her mother-in-law and gave her a quick hug.

"You guys are here early," she smiled. It wasn't a surprise, really. Burt and Carole were the first ones to arrive 99.9% of the time.

"Well you know, we just couldn't wait. A certain someone has been dying to play with his princess all day..." Carole chuckled. "He wanted to get his snuggles in before everyone else descended."

Rachel chuckled as she watched her father-in-law place Alice down on her feet before taking her hands and walking her out of the bedroom. "Plus I thought maybe you'd need some help..."

Rachel gave Carole another squeeze before smiling. "Of course."

They walked downstairs to find Finn and Camden hanging blue and white streamers around the living room, while Burt and Alice had plopped down beside the few toys Rachel had left in the room for her.  
"I guess we're not needed in here," Rachel joked as she turned to Carole. "Come on, I'll show you the cake..."

* * *

_It was a hot day in July when Alice got sick for the first time. Her shrill cry that emited over the baby monitor shook both Rachel and Finn out of bed, nothing like her normal cry. Being much more attuned to the infant than Finn, Rachel got to her first and has her in her arms before Finn could even comprehend what's really going on._

_"Oh Alice," Rachel murmured against her forehead as the baby continued to cry. She held her carefully, the baby shrieking every time she goes to move her. For once, she's glad Camden is gone for the week, spending some one on one time at Carole and Burt's while Finn completes a particularly hard class online._

_She kissed the baby's forehead gently, grimacing when she can feel the slight heat that she knows by now is indicative of a fever. Camden had a lot of fevers when he was younger, a lot of them leading to the many ear infections he had in the first two years of his life. She was well versed in fevers._

_"What?" Finn asked softly as he placed his hand on Alice's back as she cried. The baby's back flinched when he touched her, and she noticed the sad twinge cross Finn's features._

_"I think she has a fever," she murmured as she adjusted her arm that was supporting Alice's bottom._

_Finn's face paled immediately as he looked at Rachel._

_"It's okay Ally, it's okay," Rachel whispered into her hair as the baby cried. She moved away from Finn, going back towards the bedroom as the baby's cries dulled slightly, coming out as a whimper as she nuzzled her face into Rachel's chest. Finn followed behind her, unsure what else to do._

_He watched unsure as Rachel settled on the bed, laying back against the pillow and still managing to hold the baby firmly._

_"Can I help?" he whispered. The baby jolted when he reached out to touch her again, causing her to cry._

_"I got it. I'm gonna try to feed her, " she whispered._

_"Is she going to be okay?" he whispered, his voice lowering just as the baby shrieked as Rachel attempted to get her to latch. Rachel whimpered with the baby as she looked up at Finn. She tried to muster a smile as the baby's cries started up again. "Yeah. It's probably just a cold."_

_"And that's normal? It's July..." he crawled into the bed beside her, careful not to jostle the baby too much as she was already so fussy. His heart was breaking as he heard her cries dull to a whimper again. "I'll_

_go turn the air off..."_

_She reached over to grab his arm to prevent him from getting off the bed._

_"I need you here..." she whispered. "Can you hold her? I'm going to go get a lighter sleeper..."_

_He nodded and took the baby from her, smiling a little when she hiccupped as he held her._

_"You okay princess?" he whispered as he cuddled her to him. His lips brushed her forehead, cringing when he felt what Rachel had felt moments ago. His baby was sick and he felt helpless._

_"I know you feel crummy baby, I'm so sorry," he whispered. She hiccupped against his shirt, grabbing for the material in her small hand. He kissed her head again as they waited for Rachel to come back._

_Rachel returned moments later with a lighter sleeper and a diaper. She changed her quickly on the bed after taking her temperature. Alice immediately began to cry afterwards, and as soon as he could Finn picked her up to comfort her. She in fact, had a slight fever. Rachel nibbled her lip as she looked at Finn with Alice, running her fingers up and down Alice's back._

_"What can we do for her?" he whispered as she buried her head in his chest, rubbing her stuffy nose against his shirt. He back down on the bed, getting as comfortable as possible with the baby in his arms._

_Rachel sighed. "It's not too high. Unfortunately we can't give her anything for it, just cuddle her and keep her comfy..."_

_"My poor princess," he murmured, brushing his lips against her head again._

_She leaned over and laid her head on Finn's shoulder, looking intently at Alice just as she turned to look at her. Her brown eyes were filled with tears as she clutched Finn's shirt._

_"Her poor nose," she whispered as the baby sniffled. "She's so stuffy."_

_Finn nodded, never taking his eyes off Alice._

_They managed to get a little of sleep themselves once they had calmed her down enough to fall asleep. But Finn couldn't sleep. They had put Alice in the bassinet they still had in their room, and he spent the early morning hours laying awake listening to her laboured breathing. She sounded so stuffy and so uncomfortable and that hurt his heart. He knew it was just a cold, and trusted that Rachel knew what to do because he was aware Camden had had a lot of them when he was younger. But it still didn't make it any easier. So when she began to wake up, he was up and had her in his arms before she could fully cry._

_"I got you princess," he whispered as he cuddled her._

_He took her out of the bedroom and headed to hers, sinking down into the recliner in her room. She refused to take a soother from him, fussing as he tried._

_"I'm not good at this like Mama AJ," he whispered as he held her up against his chest again. "What can I do to help you baby? Are you hungry? Should I wake Mama up? Or wait...we have a bottle in the fridge..." she whimpered against his chest. "Or how about a bath? The book said a warm bath might help you, you know...be comfortable. And you love your baths," he whispered. When she didn't make a noise, he carefully held her against his chest as he got out of the chair. He padded across the room to grab her towel and a new diaper before taking her into the bathroom. She fussed as he held her._

_"I know, I know. But remember that time the water was too cold? Neither of us liked that, remember AJ?" he chuckled as her hand involuntary smacked his shoulder._

_When the water in the baby bathtub was right, he laid her on the bathmat and carefully stripped her sleeper and diaper off before gently easing her into the bathtub. She whined at first, but once she was settled and he started running a washcloth over her tummy, she settled as much as she could._

_"There we go baby," he whispered. She looked at him, her eyes drooping with sleep. He could tell just by looking at her that she didn't feel well, but he also felt pretty proud that he had figured out a way to make her calm. He loved bath time, and he was the one who gave her most of them because it was the one time during the day he could spend time with her one on one. "I wish I could do more to make you feel better princess," he whispered as he ran the wash cloth over her arm._

_"But it looks like you're doing a good job," he paused and turned around to see Rachel standing behind him in the doorway. She smiled softly as she approached them. "When did she wake up?"_

_"Few minutes ago," he whispered. "We decided to take a bath so you could sleep," he smiled softly. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaning over and doing the same for Alice._

* * *

Rachel smiled as she watched Camden and Alice playing together on the floor with Blaine, Alice squealing as she gently bopped her favourite uncle on the head with the balloon much like Camden had shown her to do. Blaine was taking it all in good fun as they attacked him with their balloons, the rest of the family was milling about, talking and catching up. She looked up across the room and caught Finn's eye from where he was talking with her Papa. He smiled gently at her, their eyes locking as she walked across the room and curled into his side when she got there. Her Papa smiled as he took a sip of the blue punch Rachel and Carole had made earlier.

"I remember when you were her age Rachel, she reminds both me and your Dad of you when you were her age..."

"And how does that work, cause she is Finn's twin," she chuckled.

"Nah," Finn laughed as he squeezed her hip."She's exactly like you babe," he gestured to where they were playing on the floor. "That laugh?" he pointed out as Alice squealed when Blaine rolled over and "caught" her from whacking him with another balloon. "That's all you. She may look like me, but she's you 100%."

"She's a Daddy's girl though," she laughed.

"Which is also why, she is exactly like you," her Dad interjected.

"Well, I think it's time for...presents," Rachel smiled as she approached where Alice was sitting with Finn eating some of the fruit they had put out for the party. She grinned up at Rachel with her teeth.

"Mama!" she squealed as she picked up a slice of grape, squished it in her hand before holding it out to her.

"Are you eating with Daddy?"

"Da!" she exclaimed as she threw her head back against his chest. Finn winced as her head hit with a thunk.

"Oh, is Daddy eating?"

Alice nodded her head quickly before giggling. "Well, how about we let Daddy finish and we open some presents?" Rachel laughed as she widened her eyes in excitement. Alice copied, clapping her hands in excitement. Rachel gently took her from Finn's lap. She kissed Alice's head as she clapped her hands again. Finn finished eating before getting the family's attention so they could open presents. Camden immediately plopped down beside Rachel and Alice, grabbing one of the presents to pass to her.

"This from Nana and Papa," Camden smiled as he placed the big pink box in front of her. She looked at it quizzically for a moment before looking up at Rachel.

"Member Alice?" Camden smiled. He sat up on his knees and reached over for some of the paper. "like this!" he exclaimed as he pulled. She giggled as she pulled at the paper like Camden showed her. Inside the box was a pink elephant popper.

"I had blue one!" Camden laughed. "It's fun Alice!"

Both Rachel and Finn laughed before taking the gift from Alice and passed her another bag, this one also from Burt and Carole. Inside was enough clothes for the entire year.

"Now this one," Camden smiled as he passed a box wrapped in colourful paper to Alice. "It's from me!"

Rachel raised an eyebrow and looked at Finn. He shrugged. She wasn't aware that Camden had gotten Alice a gift. Obviously Finn wasn't aware either.

"I got it with Nana and Papa," he grinned. "I picked it!"

"I bet she's going to love it, right Ally?"

She giggled from Rachel's lap as she slapped the gift in front of her. Camden helped her tear at the paper and they both laughed once the gift was unwrapped.

"It's Legos!" Camden smiled, showing Alice. "It's Legos Alice! Like mine but pink! Alice like them?"

She grinned over at Camden and smacked her lips, which everyone knew was her indication that she wanted a kiss. Camden leaned over and pressed a sloppy kiss to Alice's cheek as she giggled.

Once all the gifts were opened, though the most beloved gift was definitely the Legos Camden had picked out, Rachel and Finn went to get the cake ready amid the squeals as Camden opened the blocks. Rachel licked her fingers after she pulled the lid off the cake, tasting the sweet icing. She smiled as she made sure, once more, that it was just perfect. Finn wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek as the family's chatter picked up.

"Can you believe she's a year old already?" he murmured as he nuzzled his face in her neck. Rachel smiled as she sank back into him a little bit as he held her. "Where did the time go?"

"It's all gone by so fast," she murmured. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But we still have many, many years left..." she smiled, playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

He gave her a crooked smile just as she familiar slap of Alice's hands against the tile of the kitchen interrupted them.

"Mama!" she squealed as she found Rachel's legs, using the jeans she was wearing to pull herself up. Rachel laughed as she reached down and picked her up, placing her on her hip. "Da!"

Finn grinned as he pressed a kiss to her head and then her cheek. Alice giggled.

"What are you doing in here, AJ?"

"Da!" she grinned as she clapped her hands together.

"I think she just wanted us," Rachel smiled. She tugged gently at Alice's dress. "You ready for cake?"

Alice grinned as Rachel kissed her cheek once more.

"Finn, will you get it?" she nodded to the cake she had just been admiring, which was delicately decorated with the image of Alice in Wonderland characters, except the Alice was a brunette. Just like their Alice.

He nodded, moving to take it out of the box.

She gathered the family in the dining room and settled Alice in her high chair as Finn lit the candle.

"Ready?" he called.

"When you are," Rachel smiled as she ran her fingers through Camden's hair. He was insistent on standing beside Alice's chair.

Burt dimmed the lights and the family began to sing happy birthday as Finn brought the cake in. Alice's eyes lit up as he held the cake in front of her as the final words of the song were uttered.

"Blow Alice," Camden laughed. "Do like this," he smiled as he puffed out his cheeks. Alice giggled before trying to copy what Camden was doing.

The family clapped when she successfully blew out the candle with the help of Camden, Rachel and Finn. When it was cut and a piece was placed in front of her, Rachel laughed as she looked at her face. She looked completely unsure of what she was supposed to do.

"Mama?" she asked quietly. Rachel passed the knife she was using to cut to Finn and leaned over to get closer to Alice.

"It's cake baby, look.." she picked a piece of the frosting off and licked her finger. "Yum,"

"Oh, come on Rach..." Finn laughed as he looked at them. The rest of the family had cake so he walked over to the two of them and crouched on the other side of Alice's high chair. He picked up her hand and dropped it slowly into the piece of chocolate cake. Rachel immediately groaned as Alice pulled her hand out and looked at it covered in icing. "What? Rach, you only turn one once," he winked. "Try it AJ...watch..." he swiped his finger along the side of her piece of cake and licked his finger. She imitated what he did, making a face as she did so. She giggled as she licked her hand again, loving the icing. "See, it's good baby girl!"

* * *

Finn walked through the lower level of the house, shutting off the lights as he went. Camden was tucked in his bed upstairs with a book as he wound down from the sugar high that he had been on all day. He'd lost the chance to watch a movie when he had a meltdown of non-9 year old proportions as the family left the party. Finn rubbed his face as he neared the bathroom, his lips forming a grin as he listened to the splashes that were telltale signs that Alice was in the bath.

"There's Daddy," Rachel smiled as she ran her fingers through Alice's damp hair. "We were waiting for you..."

"I had to lock up the house," he smiled. He walked over to the tub and knelt beside it, leaning his forearms on the side. Alice chuckled as she pushed her rubber duck forward.

"Will you watch her? I forgot her towel in her room..." Rachel asked as she stood up.

"Course. We can party without Mommy for a second, can't we princess?" She gave him a sleepy grin before going back to her bubbles. Rachel smiled at the two before leaving to go get the fluffy towel.

"Did you have a good birthday princess?" he asked quietly as she played with the water. She gently moved her duck through the bubbles. He could see she was getting tired, and he could smell the lavender bubble bath Rachel had used to help soothe her.

"You don't really understand what it means to have a birthday, do you?" he whispered as he leaned his head on his arms. His fingers danced in the water. "Well one year ago, in a few more hours actually you graced us with your beautiful little face. And the first moment I laid eyes on you Alice Jayne I was sunk. You stole my heart in the same way your Mama and brother did and I haven't looked back since. You make my world brighter, more illuminated. Every time you smile, laugh, do that little butt wiggle that Camden says is your dance moves, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you. You've completed our family baby girl. And I am so proud that I get to be your daddy."

"Dada," she grinned as she lifted her hand to touch the side of his face. "Dada."

"Dada loves you Alice. So much baby girl." he kissed her little hand as she giggled.

Sniffling from behind them broke the moment. Finn smiled bashfully as Rachel walked back into the bathroom more, fluffy hooded towel in hand. She knelt down beside him as he turned to look at her for a moment, her eyes shining with tears.

"Why are you crying? Why's Mommy crying AJ?" he asked softly as he turned back to her. Rachel laid her head on Finn's shoulder.

"You're perfect. You know that right?"

He shook his head.

"Dada," Alice smiled happily before emitting a yawn.

"See, even she thinks so..." Rachel smiled. She picked up the fluffy pink towel and passed it to Finn. "I think our birthday girl is tired,"

Finn smiled as he turned to her. Rachel began to drain the tub as Finn scooped a sleepy Alice out of the tub with practiced precision. She cuddled into Finn's chest as she stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"I think your right Mommy, our baby is tired..."

Rachel smiled as she followed them out of the bathroom and towards Alice's room. Rachel moved ahead and grabbed a diaper and pajamas before Finn made it to the change table. She was already half asleep by the time Rachel slid the zipper of her pajamas up to her chin.

"We did good, huh?" he whispered as Rachel picked her up. Alice snuggled into her chest as Finn ran his fingers through her hair.

"We did," she smiled as she pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead. She laid her in the crib and both of them stood there for a moment just watching her. Finn leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek before standing back up and wrapping his arms around Rachel.

"We should leave her to sleep," she whispered as leaned against him.

"I just want to watch her for a minute," he whispered back. "I just can't believe she's already a year old. I just want to freeze time and keep her this little..."

Rachel smiled and patted his cheek. "I love you."

She took his hand gently after a few more minutes and led him to their bedroom. He allowed her to pull him with her, before they came to a stop in the middle. She held both of his hands in hers before leaning up and capturing his lips tightly in hers. When he pulled away, a slow grin came to his face.

"Thank you," she whispered as she came to stand back on her feet properly. He raised his hand to push her hair back from her face.

"For what?" he whispered.

"Everything," she sighed. "You are my everything,"

"You're mine," he whispered as he leaned down to capture her lips with his. "I promised you a long time ago that I would be whatever you and Camden needed me to be..." He was caught off guard by her pressing another kiss to his lips.

"You were you. You didn't have to change. You just had to love us."

"And I do. You and Camden and our little princess. You all changed my life. Forever."

"Forever," she whispered as she looked down at her feet before looking back up at him "Happy birthday Finn."

"Best. Birthday. Ever," he grinned before pulling her into him and kissing her senseless.

* * *

_**Fin.  
**_I still don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone from glee. I do, however own Camden, Alice and the plot.


End file.
